Extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism were celebrated in St. John’s yesterday during a ceremony at Government House.
St. John Ambulance presented life-saving awards to 18 people, celebrating acts of heroism at a time when life was hanging in the balance.
Logan Hatcher received a Gold Life-Saving Award and Philip Gruchy received a silver award for a daring rescue at sea in July 2019.
Logan Hatcher has received a gold life saving award after their family's fishing boat collided with a whale causing his dad to go overboard. Hatcher jumped in the water and pulled his dad back to the boat. His dad's arm was injured & he slowed the bleeding @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/46r3cYt4YD
— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) August 26, 2021
Hatcher, his father, and Gruchy were on board a fishing boat in Portugal Cove-St. Phillips when it was struck by a whale. Hatcher’s father was thrown overboard, and when he went under his arm hit the propeller of the boat, injuring him.
At that moment, Hatcher knew what he had to do. As soon as he saw his father he jumped off the side of the boat without delay. Hatcher pulled his dad back over to the boat, and with the help Gruchy got him back on board.
With Hatcher working to slow the bleeding, Gruchy radioed the situation in and helped steer the boat back to shore where emergency crews were waiting. He describes the two men working together instinctively in a team effort.
Crystal Lynn Power (left), Carl Hillier (middle), Cora Doran (right).
Meanwhile, some of the people whose lives were saved are expressing their gratitude to the ones who helped them.
In July of 2019, Carl Hillier was involved in a bad motorcycle accident in Mount Pearl.
His leg was “severely twisted” in the crash. Cora Doran and Crystal Lynn Power were driving by when the crash happened. They noticed Hillier was bleeding heavily and took turns applying pressure until paramedics arrived.
Hillier’s leg had to be amputated, and he says if it wasn’t for the two women’s quick thinking things could have been much worse. Without them, he says he would have bled to death in the road.
Gordon Payne (left), Paul Davis (right).
Another man thankful for the heroic actions of a stranger is former Premier Paul Davis.
Davis was at a restaurant in Trinity with his wife earlier this year when he began choking. Gordon Payne, who was sitting at the next table over, gave Davis the heimlich maneuver and saved his life.
Davis says he’s “truly thankful” for what Payne did. He believes things would have turned out very differently had Payne not been there.
