Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: April 5, 1976
• Invested on: June 28, 1976

James Gosen, M.B., Dennville, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Medal of Bravery

James Gosen , with complete disregard for his own safety, dove to the rescue of a ten-year-old boy who fell into the swift current below Suicide Bridge at Longlac, Ontario on May 18, 1974. The boy lost his footing and plunged into the icy water when climbing down the structure of the bridge. Noticing that the youth failed to fight the force of the current, James Gosen removed his winter clothing and dove into the frigid water. As he reached the boy, Mr. Gosen, who is a mediocre swimmer, allowed him to hang onto him while he floated on his back. Together they manoeuvred to a log which had been thrown into the water and then reached a boom where the rescuer lifted the victim out of the water. Several minutes elapsed before other fishermen could come to their aid in a rowboat and by then, James Gosen was in a semi-conscious state and suffering severely form chills.