Tsawwassen's Aaron Bubel was recognized earlier this month by the Lifesaving Society for his recent rescue efforts.
He received a silver medal for bravery along with the M.G.
Griffiths award at the Commonwealth Honour & Rescue Awards ceremony at the Hotel Vancouver.
"I'm very honoured that I received them," said Bubel, 19.
He helped save the life of a fellow summer camp staff member last July near Princeton.
Bubel, a lifeguard at the camp, was part of a group that went cliff jumping at Bromley Rock on the Similkameen River on their day off.
The other staffer went under and ended up drifting further down river.
"He went under and then we just kind of went into search and rescue mode and found his body in the water and pulled him out and did CPR on him."
Bubel jumped into the water and helped drag the staffer, who was submerged for an estimated three minutes, onto the shore before starting CPR.
"I went about waist deep into the water and then started searching for him.
Just as I was about to give up, I turned back there was his body floating," said Bubel, who was in his first summer as a certified lifeguard. "It was really lucky that I found him. But it was very scary seeing his body there like that."
Emergency services arrived about 45 minutes later and took the staffer to Princeton Hospital and eventually to Kelowna Hospital. He was released after two weeks in hospital and made a full recovery.
Another camp staff member, Jesse Goertz, also received a medal for helping with the rescue.
Bubel, a South Delta Secondary grad, is now studying at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford.
Bubel has also received a B.C. Ambulance Vital Link award for his rescue effort.
