Star of Courage

• Awarded on: February 25, 1974
• Invested on: February 14, 1975

When a couple on a snowmobile fell through the ice on Grass Lake, near Haliburton, Ontario, on February 8, 1973, John Rouble led a successful rescue operation. Responding to cries for help from the vicinity of the lake, John Rouble and others went to investigate. When he found the ice cracking under his weight, Mr. Rouble obtained a long extension cord which he threw to the victims. He directed the man to tie the electrical wire around the woman's waist and with his son's help, Mr. Rouble pulled the woman onto the solid ice. Because the other victim was too weak to help himself, the rescuer tied the extension cord around his own waist, crawled out as far as possible and managed to hook the point of a ski into the clothing of the unconscious victim. He then grasped the man's coat and others on the shore pulled them both to safety. Under these hazardous conditions and in the intense cold, John Rouble showed no concern for his own well-being and the two survivors almost certainly owe their lives to his courage and determination.