Duane Hicks
A local man was honoured with a Medal of Bravery at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday.
Kyle Griffiths—recognized for his act of bravery in hazardous circumstances by Gov. Gen. David Johnston—was among 40 recipients so honoured.
“I felt overwhelmed at first,” admitted Griffiths, who grew up in Ignace but has lived in Fort Frances for the past few years.
“But after talking to some of the other people, and heard some of their stories and what they did, I started feeling more comfortable and excited to get the award,” he added.
“Once it was my turn to go up to receive my medal, I felt pretty anxious and extremely nervous being in front of all the people, cameras, and, of course, the Governor General himself, a.k.a. the highest-ranking person in Canada.”
Griffiths, who works for CN Rail, braved intense heat and smoke to pull an unconscious man from a burning vehicle in Emo back on June 5, 2012.
The car had been hit by a train at a railway crossing and was pushed a significant distance down the track before it caught on fire.
“When the incident took place and I saw everything happen, I felt the gravity of the situation right away and knew that 9-1-1 needed to be called, so I had my co-worker make the call,” Griffiths recalled.
“I ran towards the vehicle, fearing the worst but hoping for the best,” he added.
“The reason I sprang into action is I thought that I was the only one to see the accident, and someone needed to try and help despite the dangers,” noted Griffiths, whose only emergency response training had been standard first aid.
“When I reached the vehicle, I quickly accessed the incident and looked for the safest entry point,” he recounted.
“[I] noticed the fire had only engulfed the rear section of the vehicle so I had to move fast before it reached the front.”
Griffiths was able to unlatch the unresponsive driver’s seatbelt and pull him out.
Sadly, the victim did not survive.
The tragic outcome makes the incident difficult for Griffiths to talk about to this day, but Friday’s ceremony was a positive experience.
The Medal of Bravery recognizes “people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger.”
This, in turn, got Griffiths thinking about the true meaning of bravery.
“It seems like selfless bravery is a rare trait in a world where people put themselves and their own well-being first,” he remarked.
“[But] there were another 40 people in that room that put others’ lives before their own so that tells me there’s some good in the world,” he added.
The Decorations for Bravery, which include the Medal of Bravery, Star of Courage, and Cross of Valour, were created in 1972.
