Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: April 13, 1982
• Invested on: June 29, 1982

Roderick Bruce Anderson, M.B.
Peter Dean, M.B.
James Dilworth, M.B.
Patric Ryan, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

In the morning of 30 October 1980, Roderick Anderson, Peter Dean, James Dilworth and Patric Ryan, crew members of the fishing tug W.A. Spears from Tobermory, Ontario, took part in a perilous rescue. Close at hand the floating restaurant Avalon Voyager was rolling helplessly in heavy seas, and its captain ordered his crew to abandon ship. Meanwhile, the skipper of W.A. Spears, Mr. Dean, in spite of the danger facing his boat, skilfully manoeuvred toward the Avalon Voyager. Mr. Anderson and Mr. Dilworth bravely helped three men climb aboard. Then at great risk to his life, Mr. Ryan jumped into a raft and brought three more men to safety. Wind and waves made its extremely difficult for the exhausted captain to release the rubber raft, and so Mr. Ryan dived into the water and made his way over to assist the last one to leave the sinking ship. But for the combined efforts of the fishermen, the seven crew members of Avalon Voyager would surely have perished.