Being a father is about making hard decisions, and that is something that Dr. Mayer Yacowar of Thornhill knows all too well.

The Thornbank Road resident was recently awarded the Medal of Bravery by the Governor General of Canada for an act of heroism in which he saved a young married couple from drowning in choppy waters.

The incident occurred in 2010 when Yacowar was swimming with his six-year-old son, Noah, off the coast of Turks and Caicos with a group of other vacationers. The waves suddenly began to rise. He contemplated returning with the other tour boat passengers, but, in the distance, he noticed a man waving his arms in distress.

“I had to make a split-second decision. I mean, if I went back to the boat, that guy was going to drown,” said Yacowar. “I told my son, ‘We are going to go out and help.’ ⁠”

That is when Yacowar, with little time to think, had to choose between helping the drowning swimmer and letting go of his own son, counting on the fact he could handle the treacherous waters. Noah told his father to help and let go of his neck. Now, all Noah had to swim with was a flimsy flotation device.

With Noah “swimming his little heart out,” Yacowar reached the man only to discover a panicked couple instead of one swimmer. Behind him, the tour boat was a “pinpoint” on the horizon. Dividing his attention between aiding the husband and the wife, the former lifeguard took 20 minutes to pull them back to the boat. Meanwhile, Noah shouted words of encouragement. “I was very proud of my son,” said Yacowar.

Yacowar, the founder of Central Clinics in priority neighbourhoods such as Jane Street and Wilson Avenue, received the award at an Ottawa ceremony in late May. However, Yacowar insisted the true hero is his son.