Alec Daviau

Alec Daviau rescued Emilia I. Fontana from drowning, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, May 2, 2021. Emilia, 7, fell from a large rock into the Blanche River and was carried downstream in the swift current that contained branches, leaves, and other debris. Daviau, 39, university student, was nearby and ran downstream as he watched Emilia bobbing up and down in the water. Daviau jumped into the 42-degree, murky water, the water’s temperature taking his breath away and forcing him to exit the river. The current continued to carry Emilia downstream; eventually she submerged and did not re-surface. Daviau, who ran downstream and lost sight of her, climbed a hill above the river to better see below the water’s surface. After spotting an object below the water’s surface that he believed might be Emilia, Daviau slid down to the bank, again entered the water, and waded and swam a short distance into the river. Searching with his hands beneath the surface of the water, he felt Emilia’s hair. Daviau grasped Emilia, then swam and waded out of the water with her. Emilia was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Daviau and others who arrived resuscitated Emilia, who was hospitalized overnight for hypothermia; she recovered. Daviau was cold after the rescue and had difficulty breathing and walking. He also sustained lacerations and contusions to his legs; he recovered.