Arrowsmith Search and Rescue (ASAR) member Nick Rivers was recently honoured for risking his life to rescue a man who fell in the Little Qualicum River.
Alberni-Courtenay MP Gord Johns presented the Governor General Award for Bravery to Rivers at a ceremony in front of his family, friends and other ASAR members on Saturday, April 20.
Rivers played a crucial and dangerous role in a dramatic rescue of a man that fell in the Little Qualicum River on Dec. 12, 2020. The man ended just upstream from the upper waterfalls and had managed to grab hold of a log.
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Rivers quickly put on his dry suit, personal flotation device and went into the water to reach the man. The ASAR team set up a rope system to ensure Rivers’ safety as he risked going over the falls should he lose his footing during the rescue operation.
Rivers was able to reach the man, who incidentally lost his grip on the log and started to head towards the lower falls. But Rivers was quick to react, jumping off the log to catch the man, preventing him from going.
The rescue was caught on a video that went viral and was picked up internationally.
ASAR manager Ken Neden said it is a well-deserved award for an extremely dedicated and talented volunteer.