Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend an exceptional act of bravery performed during a successful rescue operation in the St. Lawrence River last Friday evening.
With the wind blowing at over 100 kilometres per hour, a sailboat with a couple on board ran aground in the St. Lawrence River, near Pointe-au-Père. A man and a woman are still alive today thanks to the men who took part in the rescue operation led by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary in Eastern Quebec.
I would like to commend the courage and bravery of crew members Ted Savage, Jonathan Brunet, François-Xavier Bérubé-Dufour and Philippe Charbonneau. Thanks also to all the brave first responders who participated in this dangerous operation.
Those four men put their own lives at risk in extreme weather conditions to get the couple out of a dangerous situation. During the three-and-a-half hour operation, they remained calm and never gave up. These men from our community are heroes. Please join me in commending their bravery.