Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 13, 1988
• Invested on: August 19, 1988

Late in the evening of February 17, 1987, Marco Turcotte, an elevator operator at the Ressources Stabell mine near Val d'Or, Quebec, noticed that the headframe of the mine shaft, which housed the elevator's winding gear, was on fire. Disregarding the danger he immediately went down to warn the men working underground. When he reached the 400 level he shouted to the two employees there that a fire was raging at the surface. He then stopped at the 500 level to pick up three miners and continued down to the 1000 level to get two more. The men went up together to the 400 level where they were forced to stop because of the danger from the fire above. Moments after they stepped out of the elevator cage the steel cable supporting it gave way and lashed like a whip through the passage. Fortunately, the miners had time to move away. Using compressed air, four of the men attempted to clear away the thick smoke that had reached their level while Mr. Turcotte and the three others worked at extinguishing the firebrands that had fallen onto the cage. When smoke started pouring in through the air supply pipe they quickly moved to block it off. All contact with the surface had been lost; once it was re-established the miners were told that help was on the way. Not long after, two people cleared away the debris at the emergency manual exit and helped the miners return to the surface. Everyone escaped unharmed.