“We just did what was right. We saw something happening and we just couldn’t let it continue.”

Nora McLearn downplays her courage, but the Royal Canadian Animal Welfare Association thought enough about it to award her a silver medal for bravery after saving a woman from an ax attack in Swift Current last spring .

Her grandson Chace Riley of Neville received a bronze medal for his role, while Danielle Armstrong of Swift Current received an honorary certificate of testimony.

On May 13, 2024, McLearn and Riley were driving on Chaplin Street when they saw a woman being attacked with an axe.

“He told me, grandma, stop,” McLearn said of her grandson. “Stop, this lady just attacked the other lady with an axe. I stopped and you could clearly see the victim bleeding. So I got out and walked down the street and told the lady who was doing the attack you couldn’t Then I asked the other lady if she needed help, and that’s when the woman who was attacking chased me.

The RCHA says the victim suffered a head injury and was also struck on the arms and hands while defending himself.

The attacker then hit McLearn with the axe, injuring her hand and wrist. When Riley saw his grandmother being attacked, McLearn said he came to help her. Their intervention allowed the first victim to escape.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of him,” McLearn said. “He’s only 14. First to see him and to tell grandma that you have to help me, then to come to my rescue. I was surprised that he even did that. We don’t I don’t see many kids that age who are ready to put themselves into this position.

The RCHA post noted that the defendant continued to chase them around the yard until Riley was able to flag down Danielle Armstrong who picked up McLearn.

McLearn also serves as mayor and fire chief of Neville.