On August 23, 2010, Gayle Barker and Cynthia Riediger rescued Mrs. Barker's husband from a possible drowning, in Lake Erie, Ontario. The two families were spending the day at the beach when the victim, who was swimming in to shore, began to show signs of distress. The two women grabbed an inflatable pool lounger and swam out through the rough waters to the exhausted man. They got him to hold on to the inflatable device and then started back, fighting against the waves. When they were nearly there, Mrs. Barker looked behind her and noticed that Ms. Riediger had fallen behind. While Mrs. Barker was able to bring her husband safely onto the beach, sadly, Ms. Riediger disappeared beneath the surface and drowned.
The decoration awarded to the late Ms. Riediger will be given to her daughter, Ms. Erin Lisa Fowler.
Andrew Lawrence Bertrend, M.B. Brockville and Ottawa, Ontario
On July 19, 2010, Andrew Bertrend rescued a teenager, in Brockville, Ontario. The victim and his two friends had been fishing when their canoe overturned, sending them into the water. Alerted by their cries for help, Mr. Bertrend jumped into the river and swam out to them. He quickly located the victim, who had disappeared beneath the surface, and pulled him back to a nearby dock. The two other young men struggled to stay afloat, but were still able to make their way safely back to shore.
Dale Burton Bollivar, M.B. Middlewood, Nova Scotia Ian Frederick McBride, M.B. Digby, Nova Scotia Paul Alexander Oliver, M.B. Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia Wayne David Pink, M.B. Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia
On December 16, 2010, Canadian Coast Guard officers David Pink, Paul Oliver, Dale Bollivar and Ian McBride rescued three men whose fishing boat had sunk during a storm in the Bay of Fundy. Tasked with the mission, Commanding Officer Pink and his crew made their way with great difficulty through troubled seas to reach the victims, who were spotted in an inflatable lifeboat. Once the victims were safely on board, the rescuers continued to search for a fourth man over several more hours, in the crashing waves. Sadly, he was never located.
Constable Jean-Pierre Brabant, M.B. Lasalle, Quebec
On May 10, 2010, Constable Jean-Pierre Brabant, of the City of Montreal Police, rescued a suspect who had jumped into the Lachine Canal to avoid arrest, in Montreal, Quebec. Two men had been attempting to steal a vehicle when the police arrived at the scene to stop them. One man escaped and, after a lengthy pursuit, jumped into the canal. Several metres from shore, fatigued and weighed down by his waterlogged clothing, the man began to struggle. Constable Brabant jumped into the frigid water to reach him. Although exhausted from his efforts, Constable Brabant managed to bring the man to the wall of the canal where other police officers helped pull them both out.
Sergeant Michael Brown, M.B. Victoria, British Columbia Sergeant Michael Hamilton Johnston, M.B.(i) Victoria, British Columbia Constable Steve Kowan, M.B. Mill Bay, British Columbia Constable Ken Ramsay, M.B., C.D. Burlington, Ontario and Victoria, British Columbia
