Mitchell Smith and his girlfriend Crystal Dalman, will be receiving the Governor General of Canada Award for an attempted river rescue on Vancouver Island, July 1, 1998. Smith, a guest services employee of The Coast Whistler Hotel, and Dalman were at a park on the Cowichan River last summer when Amy Davidson, a young girl from Duncan, fell into the river. Davidson’s mother tried to locate her daughter but calls for help went unanswered. Smith and Dalman dove into the river to look for her. After 10 minutes of searching, Davidson was located submerged beneath the surface. CPR was performed until paramedics arrived, but she could not be revived. It was later learned that a heart ailment was the actual cause of the girl’s death. Smith and Dalman will be presented with the award in Lake Cowichan , Smith’s home town, Aug. 10. They were recommended for the award by the Lake Cowichan RCMP. Smith began working for The Coast Whistler Hotel in September of 1998, and will be returning to university in September.
