Martin C. Barry
On Oct. 10, Rosemerite Audrey-Maude Bouffard was honoured by town officials for saving a man’s life this past summer while she and her family were on vacation in Ontario.
A ceremony, attended by more than 30 family members and guests, took place in the atrium of the Rosemère municipal library, with family and friends in attendance.
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Courage in a crisis
During the summer on July 21, the 17-year-old was getting ready to leave the beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park in Ontario, where she was visiting with other members of her family.
That’s when they heard cries of distress coming from the lake. Without hesitating, Audrey-Maude sprinted toward the beach where, with the help of several other people, she pulled a man ashore and proceeded to administer CPR. After about three minutes, he started to breathe again.
Showed character, mayor said
During the ceremony, Rosemère Mayor Eric Westram expressed his unreserved admiration for the young woman’s heroic conduct. “Audrey-Maude Bouffard saved a man’s life,” he told the gathering.
“She showed tremendous character and courage in a situation that may have otherwise been fatal. We are fortunate to have someone like her living in Rosemère. Her courage and perseverance are an inspiration for us all. We congratulate her on this act of bravery, which is richly deserving of our praise.”
National Assembly Medal
The ceremony included a number of touching tributes as well as the presentation of an honorary plaque to Audrey-Maude. She also received the Medal of the National Assembly from Éric Girard, MNA for Groulx, in recognition of her heroism, which was presented by one of Girard’s constituency office attachés.
In addition, Audrey-Maude took part in a time-honoured tradition, signing Rosemère’s Golden Book to immortalize this extraordinary act in the annals of the town’s history.
