Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 16, 2006
• Invested on: October 13, 2006

Kenneth Peter Klassen, M.B.
Brent Albert McDonald, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On October 28, 2003, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Kenneth Klassen and Brent McDonald rescued three children trapped inside a burning house. Informed by the mother that the children were still in the house, Mr. Klassen raced through the front door but was forced to retreat due to the heat and heavy smoke. Undeterred, he made his way back through the choking fumes and, guided by the children's whimpering, crawled on his hands and knees until he located the six-month-old twin girls in the hallway and carried them out one by one. Alerted that a third child was missing, Mr. McDonald, together with Mr. Klassen, ran back into the house to rescue the six-year-old boy, whom they found hiding in a closet under a pile of coats.