Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 16, 2004
• Invested on: February 04, 2005

On August 10, 2002, Brian Wills rescued a six-year-old girl from a family van that had sunk into Rideau Lake after accidentally rolling down a steep embankment and hitting a boat house, near the village of Rideau Ferry, Ontario. Mr. Wills was boating in the area when he witnessed the tragic mishap. Alerted that the child was trapped inside the submerged vehicle, Mr. Wills dove into the cold and murky water to render assistance. Undeterred after a vain attempt to locate the young victim, he dove a second time and entered the van through a broken window. Waving his arms around, he found the girl trapped in a tiny air pocket and pulled her from her precarious position. He then pushed her towards an open window and brought her back to safety.