Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: November 16, 2006
• Invested on: June 15, 2007

Hans McKee, M.B.
Robert Miller, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On May 17, 2004, Hans McKee and Robert Miller went to the aid of a man and a woman whose canoe had capsized in Lake Opeongo, in Algonquin Park, Ontario. The couple had been caught in bad weather and the crashing waves sank their craft, throwing them into the freezing water. From the beach, off-duty paramedics McKee and Miller noticed the pair hanging onto the swamped canoe, furiously kicking to return to shore. They immediately grabbed their own canoe and took to the lake. Braving the forceful winds and rolling two-metre waves, they manoeuvred their unstable craft close enough to throw a rope to the victims. With the couple in tow, they began paddling and, despite being nearly exhausted, they managed to reach the safety of the shore, one hour after the ordeal began.