Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: September 6, 2001
• Invested on: June 28, 2002

On July 26, 1999, at Sanikiluaq Harbour, Nunavut, 14-year-old Junior Canadian Ranger Sergeant Lucassie Meeko rescued a three-year-old boy from drowning in the Hudson Bay harbour. A hunting party consisting of two families was unloading its equipment at the harbour when Lucassie heard a loud scream and looked up to see an all-terrain vehicle flip before plunging into the sea, throwing its passengers into the near-zero waters. In the commotion that followed as people assisted the victims with ropes thrown from the shore, the unconscious toddler floated away unnoticed, face down in the water. Spotting the child, Lucassie immediately removed his coat and boots and swam to the young victim some three metres out. Although hampered by his heavy, soaked clothing, and numbed by the icy water, he struggled to keep himself and the young victim's head above water until he managed to bring the toddler back to shore where he was revived. The young victim was later treated for hypothermia and recovered.