Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: October 25, 2001
• Invested on: June 28, 2002

On May 21, 1999, Byron Bussey extracted the severely-injured driver from a burning pick-up truck in Clinton, British Columbia. Mr. Bussey was working in his yard when he heard the crashing sounds of the truck as it rolled down an embankment, struck a large rock and ignited upside down in a ditch. He immediately raced across the highway and found the semi-conscious driver pinned underneath the crumpled dashboard with flames burning his feet. While others at the scene tried in vain to douse the flames from the outside, Mr. Bussey crawled inside the wreck with a fire extinguisher. Seeing that the flames kept flaring up, he exited the vehicle, attached a chain to the steering unit and, with the help of others, succeeded in yanking it off. Despite the intensifying heat, Mr. Bussey crawled through the broken windshield one last time and lifted the victim out to waiting hands.