Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: October 13, 2010
• Invested on: September 20, 2011

Leading Seaman Cory K. Bond, M.B.
Lieutenant(N) Christopher Michael Devita, M.B., C.D.
Medal of Bravery

On May 27, 2008, Lieutenant(N) Christopher Devita and Leading Seaman Cory Bond rescued the captain of a small sailboat in dangerous weather conditions, off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. A distress call was received from a boat that was taking on water. The captain had been braving the elements and bailing his vessel for many hours. Despite the rough seas, high winds and thick fog that caused extremely poor visibility, Lieutenant(N) Devita launched out with Leading Seaman Bond in a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to assess the stricken vessel's situation and conduct the safe rescue of its captain. The sailboat repeatedly struck the inflatable boat, making it nearly impossible and extremely dangerous for the men to attach a tow line. They struggled through the risky conditions for over two hours before finally securing the line. Leading Seaman Bond then manoeuvred the rescue craft close to the sailboat, while Lieutenant(N) Devita caught the victim as he leapt onto their boat. They towed the sailboat to a nearby Canadian Coast Guard ship and safely transferred onboard.