Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: August 27, 1998
• Invested on: May 10, 1999

Lieutenant (N) Rodney Kenneth Druggett, M.B., C.D.
Leading Seaman Kerry Francis George, M.B.
Master Seaman Charles Stanley Winsor, M.B. and Bar*
Medal of Bravery

During the night of November 16, 1996, Lt(N) Rodney Druggett, LS Kerry George and MS Charles Winsor rescued three people who had abandoned their sinking sailing vessel and were adrift in a small inflatable dinghy some 250 kilometres north east of the Bahamas. In gale force winds, the volunteer crew members of the HMCS St. John's manoeuvred the ship's rescue Zodiac alongside the survivors' dinghy which had capsized three times in the high seas. Discovering a small girl in the dinghy, the men undertook the risky operation of transferring her to their Zodiac. As they worked to avoid a collision between the two boats, a rope from the dinghy caught in the Zodiac propeller and Lt(N) Druggett had to dive into seven-metre waves to clear the line. Fearing that the Zodiac might be swamped, the crew decided to tow the two adult survivors in their dinghy to the HMCS St. John's where the treacherous transfer was made.

* This is the second award of a Medal of Bravery to Master Seaman Winsor.