Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 2001-10-25
Invested on: 2002-06-28
On April 17, 2000, Charles Lahey rescued a fellow fisherman from the freezing Atlantic waters, some 16 kilometres from Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. The crew of five were working on fishing nets when one man was accidentally knocked overboard. Knowing that his shipmate could not swim, Mr. Lahey jumped in after him, managed to grab hold of his jacket and towed him closer to the boat. Weighed down by their heavy fishing gear, the men held onto the fishing net until the crew threw them a line. Although exhausted and numbed by the cold, Mr. Lahey wrapped the rope around the victim's waist and the man was pulled aboard. By then, Mr. Lahey had lost all feeling in his limbs and was unable to grasp the next rescue rope. Using all the strength he could muster, he clenched the fishing net with his teeth while the crew lifted him to safety, some 20 minutes after the ordeal began.