PITTSBURGH, Pa. - An Ontario man is the only Canadian among 20 people to receive the latest Carnegie medals for extraordinary acts of heroism.
In June 2008, John David Pearce of Fort Erie, Ont., dove into a swift current to save a woman from drowning.
Mary C. Barnes, 57, was fishing from the bank of the Niagara River when she fell into the water and was swept downstream by the current.
Pearce, 52, who was at his nearby home, jumped into his vehicle and drove downstream to a point where he could intercept Barnes and swam out to her.
He grabbed her with one arm and made for the shore even as the current carried them downstream. As they neared the bank, Pearce called out for assistance and another man helped them to safety.
The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission has handed out about $33.1 million in 9,432 awards since they began in 1904.