Two men living at Shell Beach on Stz’uminus First Nation—Dale Wells and Leonard Aleck—were recently honoured for their bravery by the Lifesaving Society of BC.

While going for a walk along Silverstrand Road, the pair heard a cry for help. While Wells’ wife Renee called 911, they got in Aleck’s nearby boat and discovered an elderly man in a wetsuit clinging to an overturned kayak.

Other friends met the rescuers with blankets until an ambulance from Ladysmith arrived. The man was treated for hypothermia and made a full recovery.

Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon presented the men with silver medals during the ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.