Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 27, 2001
• Invested on: December 06, 2001

On July 5, 2000, 13-year-old Mathieu Cusson saved his father from drowning after their canoe capsized during a fishing trip at Comencho Lake, near Chibougamau, Quebec. Mathieu, his father and a visiting friend were returning to shore with their catch shortly after lunch when their five-metre freighter canoe was capsized by two large waves. The three struggled repeatedly to remove the outboard motor and attempt to straighten the canoe in 4 C water and wave action that pushed them farther out. As hypothermia began to set in, Mathieu saw his friend remove his life jacket and let himself drift away. Although weak, he swam to the unconscious teenager and brought him back to the canoe where his father was fighting to stay awake. With his father holding onto his friend, Mathieu swam with them in tow to a large rock, some 15 minutes away. While he and his father survived their five-hour ordeal, sadly, his friend did not.