The five rescuers pose with their honorary certificates and medals with Préfète Sylvie Feucher, President Daniel Gibbs, Vice-Presidents and Territorial Councillors during the ceremony on Wednesday. (Photo Robert Luckock)
MARIGOT–The five young St. Martiners whose instinctive actions helped save all passengers and driver in the taxi minibus accident until emergency responders arrived last Saturday, were feted by President Daniel Gibbs, Vice-Presidents and Territorial Councillors at a medal ceremony in Hotel de La Collectivité on Wednesday.
Préfète Déléguée Sylvie Feucher was also present together with members of the Fire Brigade (sapeurs-pompiers), Police Territorial, and Lt. Colonel Sébastien Manzoni representing the Gendarmerie.
The five are Enderson Lovinsti (27), Steve Artsen (18), Brisaxelle Richardson (13), and brothers Raheim Louis-Wilson (12) and Rajjanie Louis-Wilson (10). Each received the Collectivité Medal, an Honorary Diploma and a gift bag.
They were also each awarded a lifesaving first responder course which they can take with Association Française de Premier Secours, whose Director Anne-Lyse Bourdier, was present. This course will be paid for by the Collectivité.
“Your actions showed you have strong and decisive personalities and great courage”, President Gibbs told the recipients. “You did not think about your own safety, but the safety of those people trapped in that minibus. You can be very proud of what you have done. Your actions have honoured the values of our friendly island and made the community proud.
“Your parents can also be very proud of you and congratulations to them for the education and values they instilled in you. On behalf of myself and the Territorial Council I congratulate you all. Guys, you made us very proud. Thank you.”
Gibbs also made a point of thanking the pompiers, the police and other responders and medics for their assistance, not only on the day of the accident, but for their work in saving lives on a daily basis.
Steve Artsen recounted the experience: “We were all sitting on the rocks fishing when the accident happened. We just reacted instinctively, all five us to see what we could do. It was an experience I will remember for a long time. We never thought this would happen to us. We were under the water trying to pull the people out. There was a man in the front passenger seat with his seat belt on. One of us got a knife and cut the belt so we could get him out. Some of the others got out through the back door. In all, I think we were only about 10 minutes in the water.”
Préfète Feucher will also be presenting the five heroes with the Bronze Medal for Courage and Commitment from the State at a later date.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/88671-collectivite-honours-five-young-rescuers-at-a-medal-ceremony
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