Philippe Jacques-Bélair, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
On April 8, 2011, Philippe Jacques-Bélair pulled three people from a pond, in Parc de la Visitation, in Montréal, Quebec. Mr. Jacques-Bélair was in the park when someone informed him that a woman had walked into the pond, pulling a child in with her. Mr. Jacques-Bélair ran to the pond and saw the victims floating a good distance away. Wading into the very cold water, he grabbed the woman and the child and brought them to the riverbank. He went back to retrieve what appeared to be a bundle of clothing that was floating nearby. To his surprise, he discovered that it was an unconscious baby, whom he quickly brought back to shore. The baby was eventually revived, but the mother and older child did not survive.