Medal of Bravery

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

On December 1, 1985, Dale Martin of the Elmira Fire Service rescued a young Mennonite couple from drowning in the fast-running waters of the Conestoga River just below the dam at St. Jacob's, Ontario. Not realizing, in the dark, that heavy rain had made the bridge impassable, the young couple had attempted to cross a low bridge in their horse and buggy. Their horse lost its footing, causing the buggy to go over the side and become trapped on the wire railing. Clinging to the back of the buggy, the victims, non-swimmers, were unable to extricate themselves from the freezing water. A nearby resident alerted authorities and Elmira's aerial fire truck was sent for. It was backed into the river until only the front wheels were on dry land and its 26 metre ladder was extended flat out, beyond its stress point. Twenty firefighters were needed to hold the front end of the truck on the ground while Mr. Martin, fully aware of the danger posed by the abnormal river conditions, crawled out with a rope to rescue the two victims. Bending under the weight, the ladder touched the water's surface, but Mr. Martin was able to reach the victims, tie the rope around the girl and help both her and her boyfriend onto the ladder. All three then crawled back to safety.