Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: May 6, 2002
• Invested on: June 28, 2002

On September 25, 1999, Lionel Guimont extracted an injured driver from the wreckage of a truck involved in a serious collision in Gaspé, Quebec. First to arrive at the scene, Mr. Guimont saw that one of the vehicles was aflame and its driver was trapped in an inferno so fierce that it was impossible to intervene. Despite the proximity of the flames, Mr. Guimont rushed to rescue the driver of the other truck, entering the vehicle through the passenger door. Grasping the man under the arms, he attempted to pull him out, but one of the man's legs was stuck under the dashboard. In spite of the intense heat, Mr. Guimont managed to free the driver and pull him out of the wreckage on the third attempt, dragging him to safety only moments before the entire vehicle erupted into flames.