Quick action by a Port Moody police officer who waded into the chilly waters of Sasamat Lake last January to rescue a suicidal woman has garnered recognition from B.C.’s lieutenant-governor.
Const. Rob Degoey was presented with an award for Meritorious Service Nov. 21 during the Police Honours Night ceremony in Victoria.
The rescue began after a Surrey RCMP call to the PoMo Police Department about a report of a suicidal woman whose vehicle was reportedly on Bedwell Bay Road in Port Moody.
Degoey and Const. Jason Maschke spotted the vehicle parked and unoccupied at a deserted Sasamat Lake and, after searching, spotted someone in the lake.
According to a PMPD statement, the woman appeared to be committing suicide by drowning, at which point the officers decided that if they acted quickly, they might be able to rescue the woman before she swam out to deeper water.
Degoey waded into the water and reached the woman just as she slipped below the surface.
Although she appeared lifeless, she was still breathing as she was pulled to shore. The officers wrapped her in a police jacket and carried her to a heated police cruiser, where she was kept conscious until BC Ambulance paramedics arrived to transport her to hospital.
Police Honours Night is an annual occasion for the lieutenant governor and the solicitor general to recognize police officers who have performed an exemplary service for their community. Honourees are selected by a committee comprising of members of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Policing and Security Programs Branch.
There are generally two types of awards presented: Valorous and Meritorious Service, with the deserving recipients receiving a provincial medal and a ribbon.
