Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: September 7, 2006
• Invested on: March 10, 2009

John "Jack" Eli Marsh Sr., M.B.
John "Johnny" Morris Marsh Jr., M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On December 5, 2005, Jack Marsh and his son, Johnny Marsh, rescued two fishermen brothers during a severe storm at Smith's Sound, in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. The victims were bringing in their loaded boat when the craft began to sink. One brother swam some 30 metres through metre-high waves to reach the shore, but the other, wearing heavy rain gear, was unable to swim against the wind. Noticing the scene from their boat, the Marsh father-and-son team opened up the throttle and, seconds later, were just a few metres away from the victim in the water. In a joint effort, they managed to hoist the man aboard. They then manoeuvred their boat along the rocky coast until they reached the second man and picked him up. Despite the extra weight aboard their boat, and the strong wind and wave action, they reached the safety of the shore some 20 minutes later.