TORONTO, Ont, - Three

young men from Nova Scotia —

owe their Ives to the quick
action of Calgary truck
driver Gordon Rasmussen
who has been named the
1981 National Truck Hero.
Rasmussen, 49, was quick
to act last July when‘ he saw a
rubber raft capsize and
dump its four-occupants -a
Calgary's Bow ‘River. The
rafting « tragedy, which

occurred on. the weir near

the Sam Livingston. Fish
Hatchery, claimed the life of
. Rodney Doylé, 22, also of
Nova Scotia.

The ‘national truck hero
program, in its 26th year, is
awarded annually to a truck
driver who demonstrates
heroism above and beyond
the call of duty. The award is
sponsored by Firestone
Canada Inc. and endorsed
by the Canada Safety
Council. ;

On the afternoon of
Saturday, July 19, 1981,
Rasmussen, an employee of
Federal Neon (1970) Ltd.
and Universal Installation
and Crane Rental, was
driving his crane truck on
Deerfoot Trail with two co-
workers, Alan’ Legace, 27,
and Tom Harrison, 22, when
he spotted the rafting ac-
cident in his rear-view
mirror. °

The three men climbed a
six foot fence and started for
the top of the weir, only to
find the gates locked.

“I knew they were in
trouble... Through the trees
from my truck I could see
one fellow had broken away
from the _ raft,”” said
Rasmussen.

“The current was carrying
him downriver, he struggled,
and I kept yelling at him to
try a little harder so I could
reach him.

“I went in the water up to
my waist and managed to
catch hold of him as he
passed me.”

With the help of Harrison,
Rasmussen pulled the victim
out.

“JT happened to look back
and saw an orange float (life
preserver) and body face
down in the water heading
towards me, I caught him,
and Mr, Lagace helped me
drag him out.”

Rasmussen found the man
unconscious. His skin was
purple. Turning the man
over on his stomach, he
pumped the victim's back
forcing the water out and

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‘Rasmussen receives a $1,000

_ wristwatch, courtesy. of The

revived the man.
A third ‘victim swam 150

' feet-ashoré by himself. The
-body of the fourth victim

was swepf farther down the
river,. and was recovered
about a‘ month later.

“They” (the “ victims) ali
should have been dead,” said
fire fighter Gary Borkristl,
who arrived-on the scene
after the rescue.

“Once you get caught in
that weir, the water just
sucks you down and won't let
you go,” he said.

According to Rasmussen's
son Dennis, 29, who
nominated. him for the
award, his dad “would have
a hard time with two laps in a
heated pool, -never mind
swimming in a freezing cold
river. This didn’t stop him
from going up to his waist
save some rafters he had

spotted plunging over a
weir.”

As the 1981 Firestone.

National Truck Hero,

cash prize, first class trip for
two to Toronto for an ‘ali

expense paid weekend at a. -
luxury. hotel, a personal |

trophy and plaque courtesy
of Firestone. He also
receives an inscribed Rolex

Rolex Watch Company of
Canada Ltd.

The truck hero was the
guest of honor at the opening
luncheon of the Ontario
Trucking Association
convention in Toronto on
Monday, November 23,
1981, at the Royal York
Hotel, and was officially
presentéd with the awards
then.

Rasmussen and his wife
Winnie have five children.
His son Dennis receives the
$200 reward for nominating
this year’s truck hero.

This is the second year in a
row the award has gone to a
Calgary truck driver. Last
year’s winner was Rolf
Fischer. He was one of the

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B7 - Wednesday, December 2, 1981 - North Shore News

first to provide’ ‘assistance
after a bus: fall of Canadian
Pacific rail workers collided
with a tanker .truck full. of

Current, Saskatchewan on
the Trans-Canada Highway.
Twenty-two people died in
the accident. _

The 1981 Firéstone
National Truck Hero was. %
selected from: nominations ~
received throughout
Canada, and assessed by a
panel of judges comprised of

William L. - Higgitt,

president, Canada Safety

Council; Frank 5S.F.

Hammond, Ontario Ministry GORDON RASMUSSEN, 49, a
Transportation and Asa result of his quick action, he has

sponsored by Firestone Canada Inc. and endorsed, by the Canada Safety’
Rasmussen rescued the three-Nova Scotians visiting Cian when their raft capsized
in the Bow River. One person died in the accident last aay 19.

Coininunication and Robert
Stanbury,’ vice-president |
secretry and general counsel —
of Firestone Canada Ine.

into a fast current to try and.

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