OCOA Certificate of Lifesaving 2009
Conservation Officer Kirk Silver and Deputy Conservation Officer Tim Ainslie
On the evening of November 4, 2008, Deputy CO Ainslie assisted CO Kirk Silver with the rescue of an injured deer hunter on the Bruce Penninsula.
The two officers were checking deer hunters during the evening, and saw a vehicle believed to belong to a hunter. Hearing three shots after dark, they believed someone was night hunting. They subsequently heard a faint voice calling for help. After notifying the OPP and realizing it would take them 45 minutes to arrive, officer Silver headed into the bush leaving officer Ainslie at the vehicle for directions and communications with the OPP. The deer hunter, who had fallen from a tree stand was found with an injured shoulder and knee. Two hours later, with the assistance of local firemen, the hunter was loaded into an ambulance and taken to London due to the serious nature of his injuries.
The hunter may not have survived the injuries and the weather without the efforts of these two officers.