Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 17, 2011
• Invested on: September 20, 2011

Geneviève Otis-Leduc, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On June 24, 2009, Geneviève Otis-Leduc placed herself at considerable risk to rescue two friends from a possible drowning in the Batiscan River, in Notre-Dame-de-Montauban, Quebec. Ms. Otis-Leduc and her friends had been celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day when two of them decided to dive into a waterfall. The two friends wound up in turbulent waters, in the middle of the river. One of them suffered an asthma attack, panicked and grabbed onto the other. Ms. Otis-Leduc made her way to them and grabbed the friend who had difficulty breathing. She brought him safely to shore and then swam back to her second friend who, weighed down by his clothing, was in danger of drowning. Although the victim unintentionally pushed her many times below the surface, Ms. Otis-Leduc succeeded in pulling him safely to shore. Her perseverance and brave actions enabled her to save her two friends.