Andre Marentette receives his Red Cross Rescuer Award from Injury Prevention Coordinator, Tammy Pontini
A few times on this blog, we have mentioned the Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award. This special award was recently presented in Ontario to one Thunder Bay resident and two Windsor-area residents, who truly define what being a hero is all about.
At an award presentation in Windsor, firefighter and Red Cross volunteer, Andre Marenette and Red Cross first aid instructor, Lily-May LeBlanc were both recognized for saving a life. Earlier this year, Andre – who was off-duty at the time- assisted in the rescue of two teenage boys who were caught in four to five feet swells of frigid water near the Lakeshore Marina.
Meanwhile, Lily-May put her first aid training to good use during a course she was instructing, when one of the participants became faint and lost consciousness. She noticed the participant wasn’t breathing, instructed someone to call 911, and began CPR. The participant began to breathe again on her own and was transported to hospital by ambulance.
In Thunder Bay, Rory Milani received his award in-front of his colleagues at Thunder Bay Hydro and the man that he saved, Robert Kruk. Last May, Rory witnessed an accident in which a car collided with several parked cars on a street. The driver, Robert, had suffered a heart attack while behind the wheel. Rory pulled Robert out of the vehicle and performed CPR on him until paramedics arrived.
Listen to Rory being interviewed on CBC Radio about saving Robert’s life and how he felt receiving the award.
Congrats Andre, Lily-May and Rory on your well-deserved awards!