Truro (Nova Scotia) Police Inspector Bruce Lake, left, was presented the Carnegie Medal by, from left, police Chief Dave MacNeil and police board Vice Chair Bill Thomas at the June 12 police board meeting. Lake was being honored for his Aug. 19, 2023, water rescue of Holli J. Robertson in Alma, New Brunswick.
The 20-year-old woman stepped a few feet into a swimming hole in the Broad River, lost her footing and was pulled into an area of fast-moving, turbulent water at the convergence of two small waterfalls. She held onto a large boulder in between the two waterfalls and attempted to get to safety but could not. Lake, an off-duty police officer from another province, was hiking in the area with friends and saw Robertson having difficulty in the river. Robertson attempted to swim downstream out of the current but fully submerged about 10 feet from where Lake stood on another boulder. Lake jumped into the water feet-first into water at least 8 feet deep with zero visibility. Completely submerged, he waved his arms in front of him and brushed Robertson’s arm. Lake grasped Robertson and pulled her to him as the water pulled them down farther and away from where he had jumped into the water. Lake kicked his feet and used his other arm to swim to the surface with Robertson. Lake then pushed Robertson toward the boulder, where another woman grabbed her hand. Lake felt himself being pulled back into the strong current, but Robertson grasped his hand and the two were pulled to the boulder. Robertson and Lake were assisted from the water. Robertson swallowed water and sustained lacerations to her body; she recovered. Lake was nearly exhausted after the rescue and sustained a laceration to his elbow; he recovered.
On its Facebook page, the town of Truro posted photos of the ceremony.
“A hero in and out of uniform,” the post said.