Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: October 13, 2010
• Invested on: October 28, 2011

Darren Coogan, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On November 11, 2006, Darren Coogan rescued a man who was trapped inside a burning vehicle, on Highway 407, in Vaughan, Ontario. Driving along the highway, Mr. Coogan witnessed a service van strike a deer, veer off the road, crash into a pole and catch fire. He immediately stopped his car and approached the smoking vehicle. Other witnesses remained at a safe distance from the scene, concerned about the van's cargo of flammable liquids. The driver desperately tried to break out through a small opening in the bent door as his van filled with toxic smoke. Without a thought for his own safety, Mr. Coogan grabbed the driver's keys through the opening, and tried in vain to unlock the doors. He then used his elbow to break the driver's window and pulled the injured man through it. He brought the victim to a safe distance just as the vehicle was engulfed by the fire. Because of Mr. Coogan's brave actions, the victim survived.