Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to pay tribute to a true hero.
On Sunday afternoon, Faron Hall was sitting on the banks of the fast-moving Red River when he saw what looked like a teen jumping from the nearby Provencher Bridge. Then he heard a shout for help. He saw a head bobbing up and down in the water and realized that without his help, the person who had fallen into the icy waters might perish.
Faron Hall is a homeless man who has lived and slept on the banks of the Red River for several years. Sadly, his younger sister, Kristi Hall, was stabbed to death in 2007. But, despite his own personal problems, Faron Hall values life above all, so, without any hesitation, he cast off his backpack and raced into the frigid river to make sure the life of the young boy was saved. Faron Hall grabbed the boy and struggled to pull him to the shore safely where another bystander, Wayne Spence, assisted in pulling them ashore.
Today Joseph Mousseau is alive and has his whole life ahead of him because of the remarkable unselfish and quick actions of Faron Hall, who lives an unpretentious life. I think I can speak for everyone here today and say that Faron Hall is a true hero.