Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 14, 2000
• Invested on: February 02, 2001

Gregory Adams, M.B.
Laurie Benner, M.B.
Christopher Allan Paul Smith, M.B. (Posthumous)
Medal of Bravery

Early on the afternoon of June 16, 1998, teenagers Greg Adams, Laurie Benner and Christopher Smith attempted to rescue a schoolmate from drowning in Lake Erie, in Port Stanley, Ontario. The schoolmate had been swept off a cement pier by two-metre waves and carried some 300 metres out. Realizing the gravity of the situation and with the waves growing larger, Greg Adams, Laurie Benner and Christopher Smith ignored the danger and tried to save him. Despite their best efforts, they too fell victims to the rough waters and struggled to stay afloat. While Greg Adams and Laurie Benner were able to climb back onto the slippery pier with the help of others, Christopher Smith and the friend they were trying to save were defeated by the undertow and drowned.