UNDE Member Saves a Life

The year was 1980. By April, the long shadows of a bitter winter were sinking deep into the recesses of the Canadian psyche. The wild euphoria of spring fever struck man and beast alike. Hope sprang eternal at the thoughts of a glorious summer to follow. How sad the thought of potential tragedy at so happy a time of year.

Can parents ever warn children enough that safe ice of winter can unexpectedly turn dangerous? However, what child does not believe he is immortal? With joy in her heart, little nine-year-old Mary Jane Born ventured out onto the frozen waters of the Assiniboine River. Suddenly, without warning, the ice cracked, and her frail body slipped into the icy abyss. Barely managing to hang on by the tips of her fingers, her death seemed imminent!

On that fateful day, Linda Razmus, a member of UNDE Local 705, finished her workday in the mailroom at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg and decided to go for a stroll. She was astounded to see a young girl trapped in the frigid clutches of the river. Unconcerned about her own safety, Linda raced across the thin ice to pull Mary Jane back from the brink of drowning.

Just shy of the shore, the ice gave way. Fortunately, an unidentified man and woman responded to Linda's pleas for assistance and helped the two of them onto the bank. Nearby residents supplied blankets for warmth until an ambulance arrived.

A Union is full of people helping other people. It is rare, however, that a person is given the choice of offering up his life to Fate in order to save the life of another. Such was the case for Linda, and she rose nobly to the cause. In the words of a Winnipeg editorial, "The little girl lives today because of the prompt, courageous action of Razmus."