Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 12, 1997
• Invested on: May 15, 1998

George Douglas Murray, M.B.
Robert James Schinkel, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On July 28, 1996 George Murray and Robert Schinkel saved two children from drowning in Lake of the Woods, Ontario. During a boat ride, Mr. Schinkel and five children went for a swim while Mr. Murray remained in the docked boat with his sister. Mr. Murray's son and a niece were suddenly caught in a strong undertow and pulled under towards a waterfall. As their life jackets pulled them back up only to have the current drag them under again, Mr. Schinkel tried to swim towards them but became trapped in the whirlpool. In the meantime, Mr. Murray jumped into the swirl, creating a turbulence that thrust his son safely out of the eddy. When he resurfaced, Mr. Murray managed to grab hold of his niece and hang onto a steel bar jutting from a drainage pipe. From this precarious position, he also managed to catch Mr. Schinkel and pull him up. As the three weakened, Mr. Schinkel fought the current back to the boat where he secured a rope to rescue the little girl and Mr. Murray.