Two Montrealers awarded Canada’s Medal of Bravery

QUEBEC CITY — It’s the highest award for the highest act of courage and on Friday, it was presented to two Montrealers.

Andrei Odorico from Pointe-Claire and Giancarlo Torino from St-Leonard risked their own lives back in November 2011 to save two people from a raging fire.

Friday they each received Canada’s Medal of Bravery, which recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

“It seemed like a fire drill.”

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“Basically we looked up and we saw the woman on the balcony and she was struggling for help,” explained the 22-year-old Torino.

“We didn’t really know what was going on, but we realized that people were inside the building, so we ran back in,”

There was intense heat and smoke but Torino and Odorico managed to save an elderly man in a wheelchair and an 11-year-old boy. Sadly, the boy’s mother and brother died in the fire.

“You get flashbacks,” said Odorico. “We’re always like what if… what if we were there longer.”

Canada’s Governor General David Johnston said heroes like Odorico and Torino embody all the good there is in the world.

He also noted that the country thanks them for being outstanding role models.

“He said, ‘I’m very proud of you guys, it’s an honour to meet you,'” said Torino.

But to these two young men, it was just the natural thing to do.

“We just looked at each other, we dropped our stuff and we went right back in,” Odorico recalled.

“We didn’t say a word, even now we can’t even explain it, it’s like our heads were thinking the same thing.” 

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Years have passed since that devastating blaze and the pair has been honoured many times for their courage.

But the best reward of all, they said, was the relationship they developed with Raffi, the boy they saved.

“I still keep in touch because it’s part of my life now, he’s part of my life because of what happened that day,” said Odorico.

“I just keep in touch, I want to see how he’s doing, if he needs help, I always tell him call me, text me, I always like to see how Raffi is doing.”