On January 27, 1999, Kenneth Rutland knowingly risked his life to rescue two men trapped in an avalanche at Grouse Mountain, in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Mr. Rutland was hiking the Grouse Grind Trail when he was alerted that two men had been swept into a ravine. Despite the danger of further slides, he crossed an open gully and located the victims. One man was buried chest-deep and the other had only a leg protruding from the snow and debris. Both were severely injured. Using his bare hands, Mr. Rutland dug them out, shared his clothing and remained by their side as they struggled with pain and hypothermia. Hit by a second slide and then a third, he became separated from one victim but managed to maintain a firm grip on the other, blindly riding the roaring avalanche which pushed them farther down the mountain and covered them with snow. Although weakened by cold and exhaustion, Mr. Rutland was able to dig himself and the other man out and, in the intensifying cold and darkness, stayed with him for more than five hours. When rescuers arrived, Mr. Rutland worked with them until both victims were brought to safety.