Skip to content

Brothers honoured for saving boater in distress

A sawmill worker from Rocky Mountain House and his older brother from High Prairie will be among eight people from Alberta and the Northwest Territories to be honoured for heroism on Friday.

A sawmill worker from Rocky Mountain House and his older brother from High Prairie will be among eight people from Alberta and the Northwest Territories to be honoured for heroism on Friday.

Sheldon Willier, 35 and his brother, Kyle Willier, 38, were enjoying a family reunion at a park on the shores of Lesser Slave Lake on June 28, 2009, when they noticed a boater in trouble.

A small fishing boat had overturned in huge waves, driven by a strong wind that had started blowing earlier in the day. One man was clinging to its side.

The Willier brothers at first attempted to swim out to the boat but didn’t get far before realizing that they wouldn’t make it. Sheldon went back to shore for a life-jacket while Kyle went back to fetch a child-size rubber dinghy and then returned to the cold, choppy water.

As he neared the boat, Sheldon could see that there were actually two men at the side of the boat. One of the men slipped into the water and disappeared as he drew near.

Sheldon was able to drag the other man back toward Kyle and the dinghy and the two were able to bring him safely to shore where other family members provided blankets and comfort.

Kyle then went back out to the stricken fishing boat to locate the other man, whom he then brought back to shore. Family members began cardiopulmonary resuscitation while waiting for an ambulance but the second man could not be saved.

Sheldon later learned that the two men had been entered in a fishing derby. Their boat had capsized in the heavy waves about four hours before they were discovered.

“I do not feel like a hero,” he said from work on Thursday.

Rather, Willier said he felt duty bound to help save a man in trouble and hopes that, if the situation were reversed, that man would have done the same for him.

The Willier brothers travel to the Al Shamal Shrine Centre in Edmonton for ceremonies to start at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, when Alberta Lt.-Gov. Donald Ethell will present the 2010 Investiture of Lifesaving Honours.

Also being awarded are Tianah Aunger, 11, of Peace River for saving two girls from drowning; Jenna LaMontagne and Janelle Schmiess of Medicine Hat, who saved a man from drowning after a motor vehicle crash; Darcy Kerner from the Brooks area for saving a child from an overturned canoe; and Cochrane youth Benjamin Bradley, 15, who helped a float plane pilot and passenger to safety after a plane crash.

RCMP Constable Shaun De Grandpre of Tukoyaktuk, N.W.T., rescued two people from drowning in the icy waters of the Beaufort Sea as a woman tried to save her boyfriend from attempting suicide.

Visit www.lifesaving.org for stories about these and other heroes honoured by the Alberta and Northwest Territories Lifesaving Society.

bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com