Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 2012-04-25
Invested on: 2012-09-19
Sergeant François Paquette, M.B.
Constable Simon Rivard, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
On June 23, 2009, City of Montréal police Sergeant François Paquette and Constable Simon Rivard rescued a woman who attempted suicide in the Saint-Lawrence River, in Verdun, Quebec. They had responded to a call concerning a woman who had deliberately driven into the river with her wheelchair. They arrived to find the victim several metres from shore, trying desperately to keep her head above the water. Constable Rivard ran into the river and reached her, but the panicked woman kept pushing him under water. Sergeant Paquette then jumped into the rough waters, where he and Constable Rivard struggled against the strong current to bring the woman safely to shore.