Life-Saving Rescue Earns St.
Paul, Alberta Trucker Shawn Berube the 2006 Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck
Hero Award
(Mississauga, Ontario, November 16, 2006)
– Shawn Berube’s keen sense of smell and his swift reaction to an
imminent danger saved a life last March and has earned the St. Paul, Alberta
trucker the 2006 Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award.
The award, which is celebrating its 50th
anniversary this year, recognizes the heroic acts performed by truckers
demonstrating courage, quick thinking and integrity in the face of emergency. In
recognition of his achievement, Mr. Berube received a $3,000 cheque from
Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA), along with a commemorative trophy. The
award was presented today at the 80th annual convention of the
Ontario Trucking Association by keynote speaker David Wilkins, the United States
Ambassador to Canada.
The drama that led to Mr. Berube’s heroic act
began to unfold around 11:30 on the night of March 31, while he was using a
phone booth in Michipicoten, an Ontario community on the shores of Lake
Superior, 225 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie. “I smelled smoke, and
at first I thought it was coming from the fireplace at the nearby
restaurant,” he related. “But then I could see the smoke coming from
the window of a transport truck parked in the lot between two
buildings.”
Mr. Berube immediately dashed to the cab of the truck
and pulled the driver from the passenger’s side, where he had bunked for
the night. The driver, Bernard Bublish, a 72-year-old Saskatoon man, was
disoriented from smoke inhalation and covered in soot when Mr. Berube removed
him from the cab. Moments later, the truck was engulfed in flames. Mr. Bublish
was flown to a hospital, where he was treated and later released.
“When truckers are on the road across this vast
country, they never know when circumstances and situations might arise where
they are required to lend a helping hand, render a service, or perform a heroic
deed,” said David Scheklesky, General Manager, Commercial Truck Tires, for
BFCA. “For Shawn Berube, what had been a routine evening quickly became a
rescue operation in which he, literally, exhibited courage under fire.
Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. is proud to recognize this and the many other
extraordinary acts of heroism that have occurred during the 50-year history of
this award.”
The Bridgestone Firestone Canada Truck Hero Award
winner is selected from among nominations submitted by Canadian trucking
companies, which are required to include a police statement corroborating the
nominated driver’s actions.
For photos of the winner receiving his trophy or more
information on the Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award and its past
winners, please visit:
www.truckhero.ca
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Source: Bridgestone/Firestone Canada
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