Star of Courage

• Awarded on: April 12, 2001
• Invested on: December 06, 2001

On December 20, 2000, Gary Merlin saved a six-year-old girl from a house fire in Surrey, British Columbia. Mr. Merlin was visiting friends when he was awakened by cries for help and the smell of smoke. Mr. Merlin and the friends' two older daughters had exited the house when they realized that the six-year-old girl was missing. Mr. Merlin dashed back in and was struck by a fireball. After running back out to extinguish the flames on his head by rolling on the grass, he re-entered the house and followed the little girl's cries through the dense smoke. He found the young victim on her bed, hiding under the covers. Although he wrapped the child and himself in quilts, both were seriously burned when the bedroom erupted into flames. Disoriented, Mr. Merlin tried to retrace his steps but the path to the front door was blocked by fire so he rushed the girl into another room where he punched out a double pane window with his forearm. Despite a deep cut to his wrist, he then escaped the inferno by jumping out of the window, holding the child tightly. Although severely injured, both Mr. Merlin and the child recovered.