Ontario man among 19 honoured by Carnegie Hero Fund Commission
PITTSBURGH — A Canadian who helped save a man from falling down a ravine is among 19 people being honoured with a medal from the Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.
Robert Conant, who is from the community of Stoney Creek, Ont., is being recognized for his efforts in saving 23-year-old Daniel Fredericks in April 2015.
The incident took place in Oakville, Ont., when Fredericks slid down the steep wall of a ravine at a provincial park to recover his dog but became stranded in the process, not far from an abrupt drop. He grabbed a branch of a tree with one arm and secured his dog with the other.
The commission says 29-year-old Conant, an on-duty police officer, decided there wasn’t enough time to wait for trained rescuers to arrive, so he tied one end of a worn rope found at the scene around his chest, had the other end tied to a tree root and then, turning to face the ravine, lowered himself down to Fredericks.