Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 13, 2001
• Invested on: June 28, 2002

On March 16, 1999, security guard Robert Dent helped three teenagers out of a burning car in Duncan, British Columbia. Mr. Dent was on a routine night patrol when he heard the crashing sounds of the car as it sheared off a power pole, showering the scene with sparks, and landed upside down in a ditch, its engine compartment on fire. Mr. Dent reached the site as the driver climbed out of the ditch. Informed by the man that his three friends were still inside, he scaled down the bank and helped the back passengers out of the smoke-filled wreck. He then crawled inside the car through the driver's door and tried to free a severely injured young woman trapped by the dashboard but the flames drove him back. Despite burns to his arms, he leaned inside the car a second time and managed to dislodge the panicked victim and to carry her to safety.