Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 27, 2001
• Invested on: December 06, 2001

On July 23, 1998, Melissa Hall saved a friend from drowning in Halfway Brook, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, in Ingonish, Nova Scotia. Ms. Hall and her family were swimming in a river when a friend found himself in difficulty some 50 metres from shore. Seeing that her father also got in trouble when he was dragged under by the panicked victim, Ms. Hall jumped into the water to help, which allowed her father to return to shore. As she reached the drowning man, he grabbed hold of her in a desperate attempt to stay afloat and repeatedly pulled her under the surface. Gasping for air, but determined to save his life, she persisted in her attempts to keep him from sinking. In complete exhaustion, she managed to pull him close to shore where she grabbed onto a rock and helped him out of the water.