Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 21, 1999
• Invested on: December 08, 2000

Michael Schellenberg, M.B.
Gerald Smith, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On October 1, 1997, Michael Schellenberg and Gerald Smith saved the life of a man trapped inside a burning tanker truck that had flipped on its side near Paddle Prairie, Alberta. Messrs. Schellenberg and Smith ran through the pool of fuel that covered the roadway and were alerted by the dazed driver that his partner was missing. Although both the trailer and pup were on fire, they made their way to the cab of the semi-trailer and found the relief driver in the sleeper compartment, unable to move his legs. Despite the rapidly spreading fire, they grabbed the injured man, pulled him through the front window and carried him a safe distance away, moments before the cab was destroyed by the fire and the entire vehicle was ablaze.