Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: September 29, 2015
• Invested on: July 13, 2016

Peter James Cowan, M.S.M.
Anthony Kelly, M.S.M.
Byron Alexander Samson, M.S.M.
John Alexander Seymour, M.S.M.
Paul J. York, M.S.M.
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

During a fierce winter storm in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canadian Coast Guard members Peter James Cowan, Anthony Kelly, Byron Alexander Samson, John A. Seymour and Paul Joseph York were called to secure an unmanned barge carrying diesel fuel that had been cut loose because of heavy seas. Despite the rough seas, the team worked to avoid an environmental catastrophe by boarding the icy barge, securing it and preventing it from crashing into nearby Henry Island.