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Local heroes recognized at OPP's annual awards ceremony

Orillia area residents who helped rescue plane crash victims among those recognized

Dylan McKee doesn't consider himself to be a hero.

In fact, the Orillia-area man only did what he thinks anyone else would if confronted with a situation where another life might be at risk.

But the OPP realized that McKee's selfless act and quick reaction as well as the actions of Kenzie Brailey and Chad Williams deserved recognition after the trio boarded two boats to rescue a pair of pilots whose plane had crashed into a Ramara Township lake last July.

The trio received a Citation for Lifesaving from OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes as part of the Central Region's and General Headquarters's annual awards ceremony in Midland Tuesday to recognize officers and civilians for acts of bravery, lifesaving and years of service at both the OPP's main Orillia locations and its 14 neighbouring detachments.

McKee was at work when he received a call saying a plane had crashed into nearby Lake St. John. He then left his job and quickly rushed to his home near the lake to jump in his boat and race out to the small overturned float plane. Brailey and Williams, who work at the nearby Orillia Rama Regional Airport, quickly followed suit by driving another boat to the scene where the two men were each lying on the plane's wings with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

“It wasn't anything special,” McKee said after receiving his award. “I think a lot of people would have done the same thing. When I got the letter from the OPP about coming here today, I worried at first it was a speeding ticket.”

Brailey said receiving the award was quite humbling, noting “it's pretty cool to get this and I was pretty surprised.”

One of the youngest honourees received a Commissioner's Commendation for her selfless actions in helping other students off her school bus after it tipped over and ended up in a ditch near Lakefield this past November.

“It was really scary, but I tried to remain calm,” said 13-year-old Keelee Peacock as she recalled how the bus driver asked her to help the younger children off the bus.

Huronia West OPP Const. Veronica Sloan received a commendation for her investigation that began in 2013 after a Wasaga Beach pharmacist called to express concerns that a customer might be “double doctoring.”

“This case became a major investigation involved 45 doctors from 11 communities and 29 pharmacies,” master of ceremonies Brian Wicks told attendees, noting the nearly four-year investigation eventually led to 11 counts of double doctoring and one count of fraud.

“Today, we honour detective-constable Sloan and the dedication she portrayed during this unique investigation and prosecution.”

Collingwood OPP Const. Bradley Deakos received accolades for his work in uncovering a major fraud.

What initially began in 2015 as a complaint involving a local property management company, eventually led police to unearth a fraud that included 20 different condominium corporations totalling over $1 million over a two-decade span.

The offender ended up pleading guilty to 17 counts of fraud and was sentenced to three month in jail while also being fined to $900,000 and ordered to pay $900,000 in restitution.

Barrie OPP civilian employee Tania Norman, meanwhile, was recognized for an initiative that began five years ago when she realized how much food was being wasted at a family gathering.

“With help from her family, she packaged the food up and delivered it to several homeless people at the David Busby Centre,” Wicks noted.

“Over the past several years, she has prepared soup for the homeless without any financial assistance. She delivers the soup to different location around Barrie in her truck, which has become known as the 'big black soup truck' by the locals.”

Other honours, including the Commissioner's Citation for Lifesaving and the St. John Ambulance Awards, brought back to the forefront tragic events that became major news stories in 2017.

In one instance, three Bracebridge OPP constables were recognized for their attempts to resuscitate a young child after the canoe he was in overturned in the Muskoka River last April.

Wicks recounted how officers Tia Reading and Adrian Woods leaped into action after discovering a male staggering near the river and being told he had been out in a canoe with a young boy when it flipped. The pair immediately began patrolling the area and noticed a child floating down the river wearing a life jacket.

“The boy was not reachable so they devised a plan to tie a rope on one of them and proceeded into the frigid water to rescue the child,” Wicks said.

While they were able to get him back to shore, their and another colleague's efforts to administer CPR were unsuccessful and the boy succumbed to his injuries. The man was eventually charged with impaired operation of a vessel causing death and operate vessel with over 80 mg causing death.

Two passersby were also recognized with the same award for their efforts following a fatal multi-vehicle collision last August in Trent Lakes that involved 14 motorcycles.

Beth Archibald and Heather Lowry came upon the scene shortly after the accident occurred and quickly jumped into action and began to triage the victims. While many were in shock, the pair remained calm and provided first aid and emergency assistance until paramedics arrived.

And after Hawkes been standing on stage for nearly 2 1/2 hours as he presented hundreds of awards and service medals, Wicks quipped: “How are the Dr. Scholl's holding out?”

But Hawkes, who noted it was apropos to hold the event in Midland this year, given the town's decision to switch from a municipal force to the OPP earlier this year, said the awards ceremony is something he always enjoys.

“This is the highlight of what I do,” Hawkes said, adding it's important to recognize the massive and positive contribution to public safety by both police and the general public.

“On a daily basis, we hear of tragedy, conflict and misfortune that cause people to pushed apart,” Hawkes said. “Today, we hear of those who have gone above and beyond.”


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Andrew Philips

About the Author: Andrew Philips

Editor Andrew Philips is a multiple award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in some of the country’s most respected news outlets. Originally from Midland, Philips returned to the area from Québec City a decade ago.
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