8 Manitobans honoured for water rescue heroism
Jolted awake, he rushed down to the beach to find a three-year-old boy who had wandered into the water, face down and not breathing.
The 44-year-old from Winnipeg, who teaches first aid and was on a family camping trip with his wife and two children, began performing chest compressions. Quickly, the boy started coughing up water, regaining colour in his face and breathing again.
From left, Ana Bautista, John Joseph Bautista and their son Andres receive a gift from Christian Clavelle, who saved Andres from drowning. (Matthew Frank / Free Press)
When Clavelle saw those signs, he raised a thumbs-up to the child's panicking parents and the group that had gathered on the sand.
On Thursday, Clavelle and eight other Manitobans (including two park officers at St. Malo that day) received Rescue Commendation Awards from Lifesaving Society Manitoba and Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville for their bravery and quick-thinking during water rescues around the province in 2024.
The annual ceremony was held at Government House on the Manitoba Legislative Building's grounds.
During the the events of that summer day on Aug. 3, Clavelle said he kept thinking about his own family and how he'd feel as the parent of the injured child.
'I remembered how important my own kids were to me,' he said. 'Being able to save and carry the child of parents that could've lost their only child felt phenomenal.'
Clavelle has been first-aid instructor for 23 years and is the president of Canadian First-Aid Training. He said he's taught thousands of people to do CPR, but that incident was the first time he has personally used it to revive someone.
Because of his training, he was 'dialed in' and confident in the moment.
Christian Clavelle (left) hands a gift to Andres Bautista, who Clavelle saved from drowning at St. Malo Provincial Park on August 3, 2024. (Matthew Frank / Free Press)
'I've been talking about it for years, like, this is what I do for a living,' Clavelle told the Free Press. 'I was fortunate, and it's not like that for everybody. But in this case, it was just right place, right time.'
The boy's family later reached out to reconnect, Clavelle said. He added it feels lucky to have that type of closure, because he said not many first responders have such an opportunity.
The Thursday afternoon ceremony marked the second honour Clavelle has received for the St. Malo rescue. In November, he was presented the Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award.
Drownings are the third-leading cause of accidental death in Manitoba, according to Lifesaving Society Manitoba.
An average of 21 people drown in the province each year, with 72 per cent occurring between May and September, as per 2017-21 data from the charity. Less than two per cent of drownings occurred in a lifeguard-supervised setting.
Lakes and ponds had the highest concentration of drowning deaths in the province, with 35 per cent.
Weekday Mornings
A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day.
When water rescues happen, the most important things are noticing when someone needs help and acting quickly, said Lynne Stefanchuck, executive director for Lifesaving Society Manitoba.
Christian Clavelle (left) receives the Rescue Commendation Award from Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville. (Matthew Frank / Free Press)
'People do extraordinary things under extraordinary circumstances,' she said. 'We want people to know that the citizens in Manitoba are willing to step up and help each other when something dangerous happens. It's a wonderful thing.'
She said people should pay attention to their surroundings and always be watching any children in the water so they can prevent emergencies from happening. It's common to hear people say they didn't know someone was drowning, despite being close by, Stefanchuck said.
'People love to be around the water, especially in our country and province, and knowing what to look for to make sure people are safe is a great way to make sure you have a good time out there.'
matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Agricultural fair shuts down Humane Society's pig-crate display
Staff members from the Winnipeg Humane Society were kicked out of an agricultural fair in rural Manitoba this weekend after they set up pig cages and placed people inside to show what it's like for confined animals. The Hanover Agricultural Fair posted a statement online Saturday saying the organization accepted the society as a vendor at the annual fair 'in good faith,' under the assumption it would be promoting pet-adoption programs. Instead, the society set up a display featuring an assortment of informational and advocacy materials, including brochures about pig-gestation crates and rodeos. Part of the display included a replica cage people could enter to experience what it feels like to be locked inside, Krista Boryskavich, the society's director of animal advocacy, said by phone Sunday. The display was in place for more than three hours Saturday before fair organizers shut it down, she said. 'What we were presenting did not align with the event's values, and they asked us to leave, and so we did,' Boryskavich said. 'The whole point of us doing these events and doing this advocacy, it's certainly not to create controversy or to create a divide in communities. We wanted to go out to rural Manitoba where factory farming is taking place to raise awareness.' Boryskavich said the society has used the pig cage for years as a tool for education and advocacy. It set up the display at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival and the Manitoba Sunflower Festival in Altona without issues last month. She said there was a miscommunication between the humane society and organizers of the Hanover fair. The display is intended to spark dialogue about gestation crates, Boryskavich said. The metal cages are used to hold pregnant pigs. They have been criticized for being inhumane because they are usually only a few feet long and provide little space for the animals to stand, sit or lie down. The Manitoba Pork Council began encouraging producers to stop using gestation crates more than a decade ago, with the expectation they would be fully phased out by 2025, the Free Press reported previously. Boryskavich said the crates are still in use. 'There are two sides to every issue. Our focus is on the animal welfare context of these factory farming practices. Of course, a farmer might have a different perspective than us, but we want to make sure that people are getting the full perspective,' she said. Boryskavich said the society will continue providing gestation crate demonstrations at various events, but will clearly communicate with event organizers beforehand. She said the society is scheduled to appear at events in Selkirk and Richer before the end of the year. The Hanover Ag Fair did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Union recognizing growing role, higher demand for substitute teachers
Substitute teachers, who are in increasingly high demand in Manitoba's public schools, are getting more of a say within their union. The Manitoba Teachers' Society — one of the province's largest public-sector unions — is launching a committee in the fall to better represent the minority of its membership that covers sick calls, short-term absences and other casual postings. The union, which represents 16,600 public school teachers across the province, has long been led by educators who have experience in permanent and term positions. The Manitoba Teachers' Society building in Winnipeg (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) While that remains the case, president Lillian Klausen said there's a newfound awareness among leadership about their substitute colleagues' unique and changing needs. Klausen cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the related changes to the demographic of people who are subbing. Historically, substitute pools were made up of retirees who were longtime members of MTS, she said. 'Now, we're seeing that our substitute teachers are coming from all over the place,' she said, noting there's a range of early and mid-career professionals who are prioritizing flexible work schedules. The union is hosting its fifth 'substitute seminar' at its Portage Avenue office at the end of the summer. The networking event is designed to mimic the orientation and team-building exercises organized for staff teams in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools. Isolation in the workplace is a huge challenge for substitutes, said Audrey Siemens, who has been picking up shifts in Winnipeg classrooms since she retired from the teaching profession in 2018. School officials could do a better job of welcoming them as guests and giving them a heads-up about upcoming events, said Siemens, founding chair of the substitute teacher concerns committee for the Retired Teachers Association of Manitoba. 'If administration takes the time to meet and greet the substitute, pop in a couple of times in the school day, a lot of (issues related to isolation and students' disrespectful behaviour) would be rectified,' she said. Citing feedback from fellow retirees, she said the inability for substitutes to seek compensation if they are injured on the job is a major deterrent to continuing to work part time in the K-12 system. Siemens said she's optimistic working conditions will improve as a result of the growing influence of substitutes in MTS. At its annual general meeting in the spring, the union's membership passed a resolution to create an internal committee 'to explore supports provided by the society to substitute members.' A total of $6,300 was earmarked for the committee's operations. 'Substitute teachers have always been in demand across the province, but never more than now,' wrote the unnamed teacher who submitted the resolution in their explanatory note. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. 'The society has a responsibility to support all members, including substitutes. More can be done.' The author argued that better support could assist in recruiting and retaining substitutes. A recent survey of 237 retired subs found just over 50 per cent of them plan to quit within four years. Five in 10 of all respondents indicated they were unsure when they would leave teaching permanently. An analysis of the data suggests these figures are likely to exacerbate the sub shortage in many divisions. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Anomalies found on grounds of former Portage la Prairie residential school
The chief of a First Nation west of Winnipeg says four 'anomalies' have been found on the grounds of its former residential school. Long Plain First Nation Chief David Meeches made those comments Thursday, on the same day a ceremony was held to recognize the historic significance of the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School. The anomalies were uncovered using ground penetrating radar, after the First Nation began probing a large swath of the property three or four months ago. They are buried in an area immediately in front of the former residential school, Meeches said in a phone interview. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Portage residential school in Portage la Prairie where four 'anomalies' have been found using ground penetrating radar. 'Our elders performed a ceremony in the area where the anomalies were found, and that was actually the first place we searched, so they were immediately discovered,' he said. Meeches said elders in his First Nation have been consulted, and further discussion is anticipated. Currently, there are no plans to excavate the site. Instead, the community is considering a memorial to honour those who were impacted by the residential school system, he said. The search was launched in anticipation of future development on the lands surrounding the residential school, he said. The building, constructed in 1916, is home to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada but needs significant repairs. It stands on land belonging to Long Plain First Nation, Meeches said. He asked all levels of government to help cover an estimated $10 million in required upgrades to keep it operational. 'We want to ensure that future generations can see it. We don't only view it as a place of harm and a place of hurt. We need to recognize it now as a place of healing, and a place where you can visually see it,' Meeches said. 'I'm asking all levels of government to assist us for the benefit of all Manitobans and Canadians that are affected by residential schools.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Three plaques were unveiled Thursday at the museum. The building closed in 1975 and was deemed a national historic site in 2020. Historical photo of the former residential school at Long Plain First Nation, which has been designated a National Historic Site. The plaques are written in Anishinaabemowin, Anishinaabemowin syllabics, Cree, Cree syllabics, Dakota, English and French. 'The plaques are symbols of resilience, strength and a place where stories are embedded in truth and the spirits honoured,' Lorraine Daniels, the museum's executive director, said in a news release. 'These memorials acknowledge their legacy of pain and injustices endured with courage and dignity. Their lives matter. Their voices matter. Their healing matters. We are still here.' Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
