THUNDER BAY — A Thunder Bay resident who rescued a neighbour from a fire will be honoured with a decoration for bravery on Thursday by Governor General Julie Payette.
On February 18, 2017, Daniel Desrochers was awakened by the sound of a fire alarm, and realized his elderly neighbour's apartment in a complex on Adelaide Street was on fire.
After repeatedly kicking at the door—which was already too hot to touch—and screaming out to the man, Desrochers managed to gain entry, but as the door opened he was confronted by heavy, black smoke.
He knew his long-time neighbour, who used a wheelchair, had limited mobility and was likely trapped inside, but Desrochers was already getting overcome by smoke.
"I went to the stairwell to get some air, and then I went into the corridor, took two deep breaths, wedged his door open with a chair, and went looking for him in the black smoke...feeling for him, I guess."
Desrochers heard faint moans, so he proceeded to crawl toward the sound.
Successfully locating the man lying on the floor, he pulled his neighbour to safety.
"I didn't think I was in danger. I was thinking about him. But it was very hot," Desrochers told Tbnewswatch in a phone interview Wednesday from Ottawa. "I knew he wouldn;t get out if I didn't get him."
Both men required treatment in hospital.
A spokesperson for Thunder Bay Fire Rescue told Tbnewswatch the report on the fire indicates there is "no doubt" that Desrochers' heroic action saved his neighbour's life, and that it was fortunate he himself didn't perish in the process.
The office of the Governor General says Desrochers will be among a number of Canadians to be recognized at the Rideau Hall ceremony "for their excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service."
The Governor General's website states "Recipients of the Decorations of Bravery would never call themselves heroes, but that’s exactly what they are: everyday heroes. The individuals recognized by these decorations are those who have risked their lives and chose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life was in immediate danger."
