Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 5, 1983
• Invested on: June 22, 1984

Jean-Claude Viau of Lake Nominingue, in Quebec, saved two young sisters from drowning. On the morning of 11 July 1982, the little girls were boating with their family near "la Pointe-aux-Jésuites" when their craft capsized. Hearing their cries for help, Mr. Viau borrowed a speedboat and hurried to the scene of the accident. On arrival he learned that two young girls were trapped under the overturned boat. He immediately dove in and found the youngest crying, kept afloat in the bow by a lifebelt. He freed her from a tangled rope and brought her to the surface. Several others arrived on the scene but their boats only made waves which hindered the rescuer's efforts. Though tired and out of breath, Mr. Viau continued diving, looking for the five-year old until he found her - a foot caught under the rear seat had kept her underwater in spite of her lifebelt. Mr. Viau struggled to dislodge the girl's foot, then lifted the unconscious child aboard one of the boat. He applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was successful in reviving her.