Two Brandon police officers have been recognized for their bravery after they entered the Assiniboine River to rescue two people in crisis last summer.
Constables Alex Plante and Tegan Nagorski received Rescue Commendation Awards from the Lifesaving Society Manitoba at a ceremony on July 28, 2026, at Government House in Winnipeg. Lieutenant Governor Anita R. Neville presented the honours.
The rescue happened on June 27, 2025. At about 6:48 p.m., Brandon Police Service got a call about a 27-year-old woman who had expressed suicidal thoughts and jumped from a moving vehicle near Dinsdale Park. Six minutes later, she was in the river.
Plante and Nagorski arrived and went into the water without hesitation. They swam about one-third of the way across the river to reach the woman. They also helped her intoxicated brother-in-law, who had gone in to try to save her but could not swim. All three made it back to shore safely.
The woman was taken to Brandon Regional Health Centre for medical care. After she was released, she was kept in police custody overnight to ensure her safety and had a mental health assessment the next morning.
The Lifesaving Society Manitoba presents Rescue Commendation Awards to individuals who act with resourcefulness and courage to help someone in distress during a water-related rescue. The award reflects the society’s motto: “Whomsoever you see in distress, recognize in them a fellow human being.”
The recognition comes as Brandon Police Service continues to expand its crisis response work. In September 2025, the service launched a Crisis Response Unit in partnership with Prairie Mountain Health, pairing officers with mental health clinicians to better handle mental health-related calls.
