Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: September 15, 2011
• Invested on: April 20, 2012

David Wilbert Townsend, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On August 25, 2009, David Townsend rescued two people from a burning vehicle that had left the roadway and rolled onto its roof, in Eramosa Township, Ontario. Witness to the incident, Mr. Townsend ran to the vehicle and escorted the wounded driver a safe distance away. Thick smoke enveloped the car as the fire spread across the undercarriage. Mr. Townsend then crawled in through a broken window to reach an injured passenger, who was being held upside-down by her seat belt. Despite the flames hindering his efforts and the multiple cuts he sustained, Mr. Townsend worked quickly to free the woman and finally dragged her out. Others stepped in to help bring the woman a safe distance away, moments before the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.