Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 13, 1997
• Invested on: June 16, 1997

On March 10, 1996, Jean-Louis Fortin, who was 10 years old at the time, saved his young friend from drowning in the Des Commissaires River in Charlesbourg, Quebec. Jean-Louis and a friend had crossed the frozen surface of the pond next to a dam on the river, while their younger friend, who was behind them, took a shortcut to catch up. The ice could not support his weight and the 8-year-old boy fell into the water. He tried desperately to climb back onto the ice, which kept breaking each time. Once he realized that his friend was in trouble, Jean-Louis rushed to his aid, also breaking through up to his knees as he jumped onto the side of the pond. Undeterred, he got up and ran the 9 metres between himself and the victim, the ice cracking under his every step. He knelt down at the edge of the hole, grabbed his friend by the hand and managed to pull him out of the water.