Star of Courage
Awarded on: 1973-03-05
Invested on: 1973-08-02
Irene Paterson, S.C.
Star of Courage
The prompt action of sixteen-year-old Irene Paterson of Trail, British Columbia, saved the lives of two girls, then aged three and six, when their home was destroyed by fire on February 14, 1971. The fire started when cooking oil became overheated and flames quickly spread from the kitchen walls to an adjoining stairwell leading to the second floor. Miss Paterson rushed upstairs to help the youngsters who were trapped on the upper floor. As smoke and flames prevented exit by the stairway, she broke a bedroom window with her fists and helped the children to safety before she herself jumped out. In the course of the rescue, Miss Paterson was exposed to intense heat and sustained serious burns to her body.