‘He’s my Superman’: Estevan, Sask., man meets U.S. border agent who saved his life | CBC News

When Keith Termine saw smoke in the distance while on duty in March 2021, the United States border patrol officer from Portal, N.D., knew he had to take action.

Termine drove closer to the Short Creek Dam, southeast of Estevan, Sask., near the Canada-U.S. border, and found a two-hectare field on fire — and Ken Murray frantically driving his burning truck back and forth.

“I’m glad he showed up,” Murray told CBC News. “He’s my Superman.”

More than 20 people, including Termine, were bestowed bravery awards from the Royal Canadian Humane Association (RCHA) at Government House in Regina on Friday.

The awards, a silver medal, honour Canadians who perform acts of heroism to save — or at least try to save — someone’s life.

Tim Popp, a Saskatchewan representative with the association, said Friday marked the first time in his two decades with the RCHA that such an honour was given to an American. He felt the award is well-deserved.

Back in March 2021, Murray was welding a fence in his pasture when surrounding grass caught fire. He recalled being in shock after being heavily burned on his lower leg.

Murray was “seriously thinking” about loading into his truck to escape — not realizing one side was on fire, he said.

“If I would have been in the truck, who knows?” Murray said.

Termine, meanwhile, watched the scene through his binoculars, recognizing it was “out of the norm,” he said. Then, he witnessed Murray jump out of his burning vehicle with flames encircling him.

The agent took a back way through a stubble field to rescue the man.

“Almost like a movie, I see him emerging from this billow of smoke, coming toward me,” Termine said. Murray was in long underwear and only had half a sock left; the rest was torched by the flames.

“I got him in [my] truck and peeled off out of there.”

Termine learned that Murray, in addition to his injuries, had a heart condition. Termine rushed the man to safety, so Murray’s wife could take him to the hospital in Estevan, a city about 185 kilometres southeast of Regina.

“Mr. Murray had a medical condition, his pants were burned off him, and the flames weren’t getting any smaller,” said Popp, of the RCHA.

“If [Termine] didn’t act, he would have died.”

After delivering Murray to safety, Termine stayed behind to help with firefighting.

Drumming group, police officers among other award recipients

The Grey Buffalo Singers, a drumming group in Saskatoon, also received a bravery award for helping save a man’s life in June 2021.

The group was performing live on TikTok, a social media app, when police approached them, asking if they could play louder so officers could talk him off the ledge of the nearby Broadway Bridge.

“The only thing that’s making him happy right now is your music,” a police officer can be heard saying during the TikTok live.

The drummers agreed and walked closer to play for the man. In the end, he stepped away from the bridge.

Bird, along with fellow performers Jeff Longman and Joseph Twist, were awarded with honourary testimonial certificates on Thursday.

Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty, a Cree man, handed out the awards Friday. He said he was especially touched by the drumming group’s story.

“It’s special because of who I am, but also because it makes you think about how that helped an individual think their way out of their own situation,” Mirasty said.

“They made that connection through a cultural activity — and, to me, that was pretty impressive.”

Other award recipients included a handful of police officers and a man in North Battleford, Sask., a city about 130 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, who received bronze and silver medals for saving people from a burning apartment building in January 2022.

The building was evacuated, but 17 residents and six emergency responders were sent to hospital. 

RCMP later said arson charges were laid against a 22-year-old man and 42-year-old woman.