A Maple Ridge man will be receiving an award for bravery after he pulled a woman from the cold, choppy waters of the Fraser River in November.
For his bravery and quick thinking that day, Delbert Soles will be receiving the Silver Medal for Bravery at the 113th annual Commonwealth Awards for Honour and Rescue on Saturday, March 29, from the Lifesaving Society of BC and Yukon.
Sitting in his truck along the Port Haney Wharf on Nov. 4 last year, Soles, a construction worker, was all set to enjoy his lunch when he heard screams pierce the air and he realized someone was in trouble.
Two people on the dock were screaming that their family member had fainted and was in the water, drowning.
Soles rushed onto the Port Haney Wharf and saw the woman floating face-down and unresponsive in the river, about 12 metres from shore.
Even though he was not a strong swimmer – in fact, he said, he would sink like a rock – Soles ran down to the riverbank, through blackberry bushes that ripped at his skin, and ran into the cold water, steel toe boots and all.
“I did not think I was saving someone’s life," Soles told The News, thinking back to the day.
"I thought after 13 minutes in the water, I thought she was gone,” he recounted.
Fortunately, he managed to wade into the water up to his chest and wrap his arms around the woman, who was being pushed by the turbulent water towards him. He pulled her onto the rocky shore.
Firefighters and paramedics had, by then, arrived on the scene and carried the unresponsive woman over the train tracks before providing CPR.
Paramedics then transported the woman to hospital.
The near freezing temperatures didn’t matter to Soles, until he was out of the water.
“There were three foot rollers coming across there,” he said about how choppy the water was that day. “It was brutal.”
“My lips were blue and my teeth were chattering when I was done,” he added.
Following that day, Soles said he had difficulty sleeping, and lost his job because of the stress he was feeling.
About a month ago, he finally learned that the woman survived when Ridge Meadows RCMP gave Soles a commendation and medal for his act of heroism that day.
The knowledge that the woman survived gave Soles some closure and, he said, his constant nightmares finally stopped.
Now, he is one of numerous courageous individuals who will be honoured at this weekend's lifesaving awards ceremony – specifically for bravery in water-related emergencies.
Other honourees will include: Angela and Jordyn Eaves, Don Coulombe, and Robb Wilson, who collectively saved a capsized boater’s life off Vancouver Island; Lily Kennedy and Jeff Skillen whose swift actions rescued siblings who had fallen through the ice on Beaver Lake; Alison Ambroso and Rosy Hartman who drew on their lifeguard training and showcased remarkable bravery and teamwork at Langford Lake; Kyle Boudreau, Derek Martin,
and Jacqueline Snow who worked together to rescue a family from drowning in Osoyoos Lake; Robert Griffith who saved two swimmers from drowning in a powerful current, on the Thompson River in Kamloops; Trip Larson who used his Bronze Medallion skills to help a young woman struggling at Cayuse Creek; Marcio Tatagiba who used his Bronze Cross skills to rescue a jet ski accident victim in rocky water near Second Beach in Vancouver; and Neal Turnbull who rescued an 11-year-old boy from a pool in California.
B.C. Premier David Eby will be in attendance at the awards ceremony, in addition to Commissioner of Yukon Adeline Webber. It is being held at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver. They will be speaking on the critical importance of water safety and drowning prevention, before presenting the awards.
Honour awards will be handed out to commend the dedicated service of the society’s volunteers. Rescue awards, like that which Soles is receiving, will recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding courage in aiding those in distress during a water-related emergency.
