Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1998-06-25
Invested on: 1999-05-10
On March 5, 1997, Odette Tremblay rescued a man from a blazing car following a highway accident near l'Étape, in Parc des Laurentides, Quebec. Arriving on the scene, Mrs. Tremblay discovered an unconscious man in the front passenger seat and flames engulfing the driver's side. Despite the risks, Mrs. Tremblay reached inside the car through the broken window on the passenger side, grabbed the victim and pulled him onto the seat. Then she tried to pull the injured man out the door, but the opening was too narrow. With the help of her sister-in-law, Marie Ouellet, who pried the door open, Mrs. Tremblay hauled the man from the wreck to safety moments before the car was completely consumed by flames.