On April 26, 2022, PEI RCMP's Acting Commanding Officer, Kevin Lewis, presented two remarkable women with a Commanding Officer's Civilian Commendation for Bravery. This distinction recognizes exceptional courage in the face of dangerous circumstances from a member of the public.
On June 12, 2021, Emily Chaulker and Jasmine Finley were returning to a friend's cottage on Driftwood Country Lane, in Tignish. When they arrived, they saw the cottage next door was on fire, with visible flames coming from the front window and door. Ms. Chaulker ran to call for assistance, while Ms. Finley went to the burning cottage, as she could hear someone inside calling for help.
Inside the burning building was Jamie Matthews. Mr. Matthews had been sleeping and woke up, disoriented, to a dark room filling with thick smoke. The cottage was becoming dangerously hot, and Mr. Matthews quickly became incapacitated by the smoke. Ms. Finley and Ms. Chaulker went around the building, pried open the bedroom window, and started calling for the person inside. Mr. Matthews heard their voices and crawled towards them. Both women then pulled him out through the window and assisted him to a safe location while waiting for first responders to arrive.
When police and the local fire department arrived on scene, the cottage was fully engulfed in flames. Thanks to their quick thinking, Ms. Finley and Ms. Chaulker rescued Mr. Matthews from a fire that would have most likely had claimed his life.
Cst. Jamie Patterson, who was the first PEI RCMP officer at the scene, nominated Ms. Finley and Ms. Chaulker to receive a commendation for their actions.
"These women exemplified bravery and courage when saving a fellow Islander from a fire," says Acting Commanding Officer Kevin Lewis. "It was an honour to present Emily and Jasmine with the Commanding Officer's Civilian Commendation for Bravery."