Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 18, 1996
• Invested on: June 16, 1997

On February 7, 1996, Joseph Todd rescued a young woman from the frozen waters of the Otonabee River near Lakefield, Ontario. Mr. Todd was driving home during an evening snow storm when he noticed tire tracks on the embankment leading to the river. He stopped his vehicle and saw the tail lights of a small truck being carried by the current in an area of open water. As he called 911, he heard the desperate cries of a woman clinging to the edge of the ice nearly 25 metres from the road. Fearing that help would arrive too late, Mr. Todd grabbed a chain and a flashlight from his truck and used two planks of wood to make his way across the unstable ice to within 3 meters of the woman. He threw the chain twice to her before she was able to grab it and after several attempts, he managed to pull her out. Unable to walk, the exhausted victim clung to the chain while Mr. Todd dragged her to his truck where they waited for the emergency units.