Photo via City of Peterborough
Two Peterborough lifeguards were recognized for stepping in when it mattered most, saving a person’s life while off duty.
Avery Fam and Tessa Kitchen, both lifeguards and swim instructors at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, received Rescue Awards of Merit from Lifesaving Society Ontario during a ceremony on Tuesday.
The awards acknowledge their actions on October 6, 2025, when Fam noticed an individual lying on the grass near the centre’s parking lot. Realizing the person was not breathing, she ran into the facility to call 9-1-1 and retrieve a first aid kit before starting CPR.
Kitchen, arriving at the centre at the same time, saw Fam providing aid and quickly joined her. Their combined efforts restored the individual’s breathing before paramedics arrived and transported the person to hospital, where they survived.
Mayor Jeff Leal praised the lifeguards, stating, “We are incredibly proud of these two off-duty lifeguards whose quick thinking, training, and selflessness saved a life when it mattered most. Their actions are a powerful reminder that the skills our lifeguards carry don’t end when their shift does. On behalf of City Council and the community, I congratulate Avery and Tessa on receiving Lifesaving Society Ontario’s Rescue Award of Merit and thank them for exemplifying the very best of public service.”
Stephanie Bakalar of Lifesaving Society Ontario added, “Lifesavers never know when they might be called upon to use their training and skills. The Society commends Avery and Tessa for their selflessness and applauds their embodiment of our motto, ‘Whomsoever you see in distress, recognize in them a fellow human being.’”
Their courage and readiness demonstrate how training, quick thinking, and teamwork can make the difference between life and death.
