Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: August 11, 1975
• Invested on: September 22, 1975

Corporal Wendell Arthur Mercer, M.B., CFB Calgary, Alberta
Gary Wishart, M.B., Calgary, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

Wendell Mercer, then Cpl., and Gary Wishart saved a seven-year-old girl and her two-year-old sister from drowning at Beauvais Lake, Alberta on May 20, 1973. The children had been playing in the family car and had caused the vehicle to roll into the water. Cpl. Mercer and Mr. Wishart, who were camped nearby, were summoned to the scene and with no concern for their own safety, swam to the car as it settled to the bottom. Diving underwater, the rescuers pried the rear door open and reached inside. The youngsters were individually pulled from their deadly trap and the group resurfaced. Moments later, the men were assisted by a third camper who used a boat to return the party ashore. Without doubt, the children's lives might well have been lost, but for the hasty and resolute intervention of Cpl. Mercer and Mr. Wishart.