Robert C. Bombardir, M.B.
Russell Ryan Werner, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
On August 30, 2008, Robert Bombardir and Russell Werner rescued a man who was trapped inside a burning vehicle, in Powell River, British Columbia. Alerted by the sound of a collision, Messrs. Bombardir and Werner made their way to the scene to find a van on fire and the driver trapped against the dashboard. Unable to pry open the badly damaged front doors, they managed to break a window and open the rear passenger-side door. Messrs. Werner and Bombardir were forced to pull out numerous large items from the vehicle before entering. Through the heat and smoke of the fire creeping up from beneath the vehicle, they made their way to the victim, who was screaming for help. They instructed onlookers to spray water onto the victim's feet, as they were engulfed in flames. With determined effort, Messrs. Bombardir and Werner were able to pull the victim free and take him a safe distance away.