Star of Courage

• Awarded on: November 24, 2011
• Invested on: April 20, 2012

Corporal Winston William Matheson, S.C., C.D.
Star of Courage

On November 20, 2009, Corporal Winston Matheson rescued a wounded soldier from a burning bus, following a head-on collision in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The driver of a bus carrying two passengers was unable to avoid an oncoming SUV that had drifted into his lane. On impact, Corporal Matheson was thrown forward and landed halfway through the front windshield. Despite his injuries, he made his way back inside the bus to search for the other passenger, while the bus driver escaped. Corporal Matheson grabbed the injured man and, with great difficulty, opened the emergency exit and pushed him outside. Corporal Matheson then fell unconscious but was pulled to safety before the bus became completely engulfed in flames.