Local man to receive bravery medal

An act of bravery often comes at the most unexpected moment. This was the case for Lt. Denis Beaulieu who saved a drowning man in Cold Lake, Alta., on May 12, 2007. Beaulieu who is from Sherbrooke, Que., is currently stationed at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. During a day off when Beaulieu was posted at Cold Lake, he and a friend rented a cabin by the lake. "It was a really nice day at the lake. It had been quite a warm day and I was just enjoying the outdoors," said Beaulieu. Although the warmer weather had begun, the lake still had patches of ice and snow. Beaulieu was out barbecuing when a man in a truck drove up to the cabin and pointed out another man in distress out on the lake. Beaulieu had seen the man on the lake canoeing earlier in the day. "He was about 300 to 400 metres away from the shore and he was surrounded by bits of the canoe, which had broken apart," said Beaulieu. Without hesitation Beaulieu ran into his cabin and changed into a pair of shorts. "I knew there were no other boats in the area and the man needed help. I changed so I could swim out to him easier," said Beaulieu. As Beaulieu ran towards the lake he heard shouts from others not to go. "I heard them yelling but my mind was just so focused I blocked it out," said Beaulieu. The first 150 metres of the lake were quite shallow and Beaulieu was able to run through the water. It wasn't until Beaulieu had to start swimming when he realized what he was doing. "I dived into the water and I was instantly in thermal shock," said Beaulieu. "I had to swim back a few metres to recompose myself. I kept looking back and forth between the shore and the man." Beaulieu heard the screams from the drowning man and knew it was serious. "I had to make a decision and I just went for it," said Beaulieu. When he reached the man he grabbed the life jacket the individual was wearing and began to drag him back to shore. "It took about 20 minutes to get him back to shore and I just kept talking to him telling him to remain calm," said Beaulieu. "The last few metres were very nerve-racking as my head kept going under the water until I finally was able to touch the bottom with my foot." With help from a friend on the shore, Max Cameron, Beaulieu pulled the man to the shore and over to a bonfire. "My legs were very numb and sore, as if I had been walking on broken glass," said Beaulieu. "That lake deserves it's name, even in early May it is still pretty cold." Last month Beaulieu received a letter from the Governor General in which he learned he would be awarded the Medal of Bravery in Ottawa. Beaulieu admits all the attention he has received since that day has been a little overwhelming. "It was just an instant reaction. If I was in trouble I hope someone would help me out," said Beaulieu. Colin Dewar can be reached at 691-1263.