Heroes honoured
‘I’m not the type of person to run away’
Liam Bernard says he never thought about himself when he risked his life saving a man who was trapped in a burning vehicle.
But on Monday, as he was sitting in an auditorium waiting to receive a medal from Gov. Gen. David Johnston recognizing his bravery, it began to sink in for the 37-year-old Waycobah man.
“I was thinking back to that day, like I didn’t realize the danger I put myself in, because I have four kids and a grandchild,” said Bernard. “I didn’t realize it then and I’m thinking about it today, ‘By God, I could have lost my children.’ That’s where I almost got teared up.”
Bernard, who was awarded the Star of Courage, was one of 50 Atlantic Canadians recognized for courage, excellence, or exceptional dedication to service during a ceremony in Moncton on Monday.
Michelle Curtis of Lingan, who died in 2015 while saving a group of children from a riptide off Dunvegan, N.S., was awarded a medal of bravery that was accepted by her husband Karl.
Bernard and his best friend Shane Bernard were driving to Halifax when a truck towing a camper van collided with a sport-utility vehicle near Melford, N.S., on Sept. 16, killing the female driver and lone occupant of the SUV.
They helped get one of the two men in the truck out of the burning vehicle but before they could get the second man, whose leg was trapped beneath the crushed dashboard, the flames grew more intense and the rescuers were forced to back away. But Liam Bernard says he couldn’t just stand back and watch the man die.
“The second attempt, when I got in there the truck was even worse. It was more in flames when I got in there the second time but at the time, I was thinking that I probably had another minute or two to get him out of there, so I gave it my last minute or two — actually it was probably about a minute really — and I got him out of there.”
Bernard said the person he rescued — a man named Ralph from Milwaukee, Wis., — contacted him Thursday after months of trying to track him down. They spoke briefly a couple of times and plan to talk again.
“He said ‘I have a guardian angel; I tell everyone up here that his name is Liam Bernard.’ He said ‘I thank you very much.’”
Meanwhile, even though he now understands the danger, Bernard said he’d still risk his life if he was ever in the same situation again.
“I pray that I don’t have to do that again but I’m not the type of person to run away from any kind of situation where someone’s life is in danger, so I’d do my best.”