(Quebec) The National Assembly on Wednesday paid tribute to young Théo Ferland, who saved three people from drowning near the Île d’Orléans last month.
Posted at 4:52 p.m.
Caroline Plante The Canadian Press
The 12-year-old boy was awarded a medal by the MP for Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré, Kariane Bourassa. She wanted to express her admiration for him and emphasized how brave he had been.
“Let me tell you, Spiderman and Superman have nothing to envy,” she said.
On August 16, Théo traveled by boat near the village of Saint-Pierre with family friends, Jean-Pierre Jalbert-Boily and his two children Émile and Alice, aged 11 and 8.
They were swimming near the boat when little Alice, followed by her brother and father, was swept away by the current. Theo managed to swim against the current, climb aboard the boat and bring it to the panicked and out of breath family.
PHOTO KAROLINE BOUCHER, THE CANADIAN PRESS
MPs Kariane Bourassa, Théo Ferland, Jean-Pierre Jalbert-Boily and their two children Alice and Émile
In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Jalbert-Boily said he was afraid of dying. “After 30 seconds, we quickly looked at the solutions and then I didn’t see any,” he said. The family will thank Théo for a lifetime. […] We can never say it often enough. »
Théo admires his medal and says he is proud of himself. “We notice it less at that point, but after that […] You say to yourself, “I really did that.” It’s more blurry, but there are definitely images that come to mind a little bit. »
Théo’s recently deceased father may have given him the “strength” to save the Boilys from drowning, added the 12-year-old hero’s mother, Cindy Langlois.
Théo Ferland was also honored two weeks ago by the Quebec Life Saving Society, which presented him with a “rescue award” at a gala.