SAULT STE. MARIE—Jack Purvis, who was born and raised in Gore Bay, and two of his employees have been recognized by the Sault Police Service for their life-saving efforts in 2022.
Jack Purvis, owner of Purvis Marine Limited in Sault Ste. Marie along with two members of his crew, Dan Cayen and Darrin Manchester, received commendations for their contributions to the wellbeing and safety of the Sault community.
Mr. Purvis told The Expositor, “We just arranged a boat to help find a man who had jumped into a river. A police officer had walked on to the dock and said there had been a report that someone had jumped into the river. He also said the police were waiting for members of the local fire department to arrive with their boat.”
“I offered our services and fortunately one or our boats was nearby. In fact, we had two close by, a 40 foot work boat and a tugboat,” said Mr. Purvis.
It was reported by the police that they, “Received a call on November 4, 2022 that someone jumped into the St. Mary’s River and had possibly injured themselves. While attempting to locate them, police were approached by Mr. Purvis who offered one of his vessels to help locate the person.”
“Police boarded the vessel with captain Dan Cayen and crew member Darrin Manchester and they soon spotted the individual in distress,” the police report. “Mr. Cayen was able to help get the person onboard safely, despite some resistance from the individual. Mr. Manchester helped pull the individual from the water and onto the boat, keeping them calm while the boat headed back to the Pavilion.”
On May 16 the Sault Police held its 35th annual Police Community Programs Night where several citizens were recognized for their bravery and contributions to Sault Ste. Marie. Many businesses and organizations were awarded commendations from Sault Police Sergeant Rob Chabot and spokesperson Lincoln Loutitt who both handed out each award. Commendations were also awarded to citizens for their contributions to the wellbeing and safety of the Sault Ste. Marie community.
