Prince George’s Chelsi Sabbe will be awarded a Medal of Bravery by Governor General Julie Payette next week.
Sabbe will be among 40 Canadians being recognized on Tuesday in Ottawa for their excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service with with either a Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division), a Decoration for Bravery or the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.
On August 15, 2017, Chelsi Sabbe intervened during an attempted kidnapping in Prince George, reads the description on the governor general’s website. Sabbe was at a nearby park with her daycare charges when she noticed a man approaching two of the children in the playground. The suspect snatched one of the children and attempted to flee, whereupon Sabbe tackled him to the ground.
Grabbing the child, she ran back to the park, ordering the other children to climb to the top of the play structure. The suspect returned and Sabbe wrestled him to the ground and put him in a choke hold, while the children ran to a neighbour’s house for safety.
The suspect fled but was later apprehended by police.