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Jamaican Received Canadian Award for Bravery

May 31, 2012

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Almost four years after saving a Canadian citizen from drowning, Jubal Daley was presented with the Medal of Bravery on Tuesday May 29 by the Canadian government in recognition of his act of courage.

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Stephen Hallihan made the presentation at a ceremony held at his official residence in St. Andrew.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, commended the Canadian government for recognising the act of bravery and lauded Mr. Daley for his “daring feat in the midst of personal danger”.

“Your brave deed has etched footprints on the sands of time, large enough for your children and others to follow and proudly talk of you in years to come,” he stated.

In his remarks, Mr. Hallihan said Mr. Daley exhibited the “utmost courage” by risking his life to save another.

 “We stand here today in the presence of heroism and outstanding courage; that’s the courage that was demonstrated by Mr. Daley and his friends when they went into the rough seas to save a fellow human being,” he stated.

On December 13, 2008, Jubal Daley, Wayne Reynolds and Twain Wright rescued a woman from the tumultuous currents of the Caribbean Sea. Her husband, Eric Roy, lost his life trying to reach her.

It is understood that Mr. Roy and his wife were near their hotel room in Negril, when a huge wave pulled the woman down a cliff and into the sea. Mr. Roy jumped in to try and save her, but after a lengthy battle against the raging waves, he disappeared beneath the surface.

Other guests at the hotel heard the woman’s cries and threw a life ring to her, which helped her stay afloat.

Messrs. Daley, Reynolds and Wright then arrived at the scene and entered the water, fighting against the surge to reach the unconscious victim as she was tossed against the rocks.

With great difficulty, they managed to get her to the shore and up the cliff to safety, where they called for help.

In accepting his award, Mr. Daley, who manages Jubi’s Pizza in Negril, said he feels good that he was able to save a life.

He recalled that during the act, he or his friends were not concerned about their personal safety, as they saw the opportunity to assist.

“We decided that two persons would jump in and one person would stay on land. So me and Twain, the two of us jumped in…,” he said, recalling that the incident took place at about 3:00 a.m.

The Medal of Bravery, created by the Canadian government in 1972, recognises acts of bravery performed in hazardous circumstances and is presented to both living and deceased individuals. It is the country’s third highest honour for bravery and grants the recipients the ability to use the post-nominal letters MB.

Similar presentations will be made to Mr. Reynolds and the late Mr. Roy (posthumously), while Mr. Wright received his decoration at a ceremony held on January 24 in New York in the United States.

 

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter

Last Updated: July 30, 2013

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