Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: October 5, 1987
• Invested on: December 11, 1987

On October 2, 1986, David Crerar rescued a man from a crashed plane at Golden, British Columbia. Mr. Crerar, owner of Amiskwi Air, was in his home at Golden airport when he heard one of his aircraft, a deHavilland Beaver equipped with floats, take off from the Columbia River. A combination of circumstances and mishaps caused the pilot to taxi the plane directly into the far bank of the river under full throttle -- about 80 k.p.h. The pilot was knocked unconscious and pinned in the plane and the engine burst into flames. Mr. Crerar, hearing the crash, ran outside, took stock of the situation and then, unmindful of his own safety, dove into the swift current and swam across to the plane. Unable to free the victim from outside, he climbed into the wreckage, broke the pieces of aircraft pinning the victim's legs, undid his seat-belt and helped him out. He removed the victim a safe distance from the burning plane and then waited with him until a boat came to take them across to the ambulance waiting on the other side.