Hatters to be honoured by governor general
By Collin Gallant on October 20, 2018.
Medicine Hat News A pair of Hatters and another group of men from the region will be honoured for bravery by the governor general in a ceremony Saturday in Regina. Angela Irvine of Medicine Hat and Cole Marshall of Redcliff will be awarded the Medal of Bravery by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, along with members of a farm family from Burstall, Sask., who were part of a tragic accident. Marshall was fishing near Police Point park in June 2016 when he saw two boys get swept up in high-running South Saskatchewan River. He swam out to rescue one of the eight-year-old twins, while their mother, Irvine, fought against the stiff current to retrieve the other. The event is set to take place at 10:30 a.m., local time, on Saturday at the RCMP Depot in Regina as part of the vice-regal’s first tour to Saskatchewan. Meritorious Service Decorations, Police Order of Merit and civilian decorations for bravery will be awarded to 40 individuals from the four westernmost provinces and the territories. From the same rescue Earlier this fall now-retired Medicine Hat fire captain Mike Hallis was awarded a special citation for his role in the rescue of Irvine’s sons. The entire incident was submitted to the governor-general’s selection committee for consideration by the Medicine Hat Fire Service. Their interpretation resulted in the medal presentations, but also an unsolicited citation for Hallis. The other award with local connection resulted in tragedy despite heroic effort. In late August 2015, 14-year-old Layne Langridge fell into a grain hopper during harvest near Burstall, Sask. and three men leaped in to retrieve him and brush grain away from his face. The boy and his grandfather, Dennis Becker, were eventually buried and expired during the incident despite the efforts of the boy’s father, Nelson Langridge, as well as Derrick Kozinski, of Cut Knife, Sask. Those two are honoured with bravery medals, as well as Becker, whose medal is awarded posthumously. 14-13
