Gov. Gen. gives bravery medals to Rankin Inlet pair, Naujaat Canadian Rangers for courage in life-threatening conditions
Rankin Inlet resident David Jameson Bond was dozing while ice fishing on the frozen Meliadine River, about 18 kilometres from the community, when a scream cut through the quiet.
On June 13, 2021, Cecilia Ayuraq, an elder, had stepped onto thin ice and plunged into frigid water.
“All you could see was a person’s head and arms sticking out of the ice,” Bond said Thursday at an Ottawa ceremony where he received a bravery medal.
“The gap in the ice was three feet deep around her and it was a pretty big hole,” he added.
Spring ice breaks easily, making it harder for someone to get out of because they fall right through, Bond explained.
Coincidentally, Bertha Nakoolak was also fishing nearby and heard the cries.
She reached Ayuraq first on her ATV, and shouted for Bond — who had gone to his car to grab a rope— to hurry up.
When they reached the edge of the cracked ice, the rope proved useless because there was nothing to tie it to.
The pair dropped to their knees and carefully inched toward Ayuraq as the ice cracked beneath them.
“I remember the ice started to crack and pieces of it came off,” Bond said.
Working together, Bond grabbed Ayuraq’s leg and pulled her from the icy water.
For their actions that day, Bond and Nakoolak were awarded the Medal of Bravery by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon Thursday at Rideau Hall.
The medal is one of the Canada’s highest civilian honours, recognizing acts of courage in dangerous circumstances.
“No one ever plans to receive these decorations. You receive them because you acted with courage,” Simon said at the ceremony. “Each of you chose to look beyond your own safety to save lives.”
Bond, a Rankin Inlet chef and hotel manager, said he feels humbled by the recognition.
“I knew I was nominated, but to receive it is different,” he said. “I never want to have to do it again, but I know I would if I had to.”
After pulling Ayuraq from the water, Bond used chemical hand warmers from his backpack while Bertha stripped off her boots and offered Cecelia the liners.
Bond said incidents like this are not uncommon during spring travel in the North. The Inuit technique known as the “third leg,” comes in handy, he said.
“It’s a metal rod that you pound on the ice as you walk,” Bond said. “If it goes through, stop walking. If it doesn’t, keep doing it until you get to where you want to go.”
At Thursday’s ceremony, two members of the 1st Canadian Rangers Patrol Group were also recognized for a dramatic Arctic rescue.
Canadian Ranger Danny Sanertanut receives a Medal of Bravery from Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday for his role in rescuing two stranded French nationals near Naujaat in March 2020. (Photo by Nehaa Bimal)
Sgt. Ayrton Balfour and Canadian Ranger Danny Sanertanut received medals for rescuing two stranded French tourists near Naujaat, on March 17, 2020.
Balfour and Sanertanut were part of a team of five rangers who answered a distress call when other service providers could not.
Their search was done in a blizzard and -60 C temperatures. The rangers travelled more than 260 kilometres before locating the pair and bringing them to safety.
The medals for other rangers Laurent Kringayark, Oscar Kringayark and Robert Kopak will be awarded later.
Bond and Nakoolak brought a taste of the Arctic to Ottawa for the ceremony, giving the governor general caribou and Arctic char processed in Rankin Inlet.