Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: November 23, 1987
• Invested on: June 10, 1988

Denis Desrochers, M.B.
Yvon Rivard, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

During the evening of March 16, 1985, Denis Desrochers and Yvon Rivard rescued their companion after he had fallen through thin ice with a skidoo at the confluence of the Kinojévis and Ottawa rivers in Témiscamingue County, Quebec. The three men were travelling along the Kinojévis River by skidoo, but decided to turn back because it was dark and the ice seemed thin. Just as they were about to turn around, the victim, thinking he recognized the cottage he had been looking for some time, decided to keep on going. His friends followed. He soon fell through an opening in the ice caused by the rapids beneath, and, not knowing how to swim, struggled desperately against the current to stay above the surface. After going under twice he managed to grab hold of an ice floe. His friends, who had stopped several feet from the open water, decided to go to his rescue. Mr. Desrochers crawled across the ice to the victim and managed to pull him out of the water with the aid of a rope while Mr. Rivard held on to the ice floe which threatened to be swept away by the current at any time. Mr. Desrochers then crawled back across the ice, pulling the rope with the help of Mr. Rivard. When they reached firm footing, the two men wrapped the victim in a coat and took him to their cottage on the remaining skidoo. The three men came through the ordeal unharmed.