Hero Fund President Eric Zahren, left, presented the Carnegie Medal to Sadia Khan at an Oct. 4, 2026, ceremony held along the Rideau River in Ottawa, Ontario, where Khan rescued a 6-year-old boy from drowning in June 2024.
The ceremony at Brantwood Park included a traditional smudging ceremony and remarks from First Nations Elder Albert Dumont, who participated in presenting the medal to Khan. Family, friends, and children gathered to celebrate Khan’s heroism and take part in a special activity along the riverbank.
Speaking about the hope that acts of heroism inspire, Zahren said, “Sadia, through her remarkable choice and action, at risk to her own life, saved a life, which is extraordinary. But even more, her example helps us all to believe and believe more strongly.”
On June 30, 2024, Khan entered the fast-moving waters of the Rideau River at Hog’s Back Park after a 6-year-old boy slipped into the rapids. She reached the boy and struggled to hold him above water as the current swept them approximately 300 feet downstream, repeatedly submerging her and slamming her into rocks. Khan eventually secured a foothold and pushed the boy onto a rock before pulling herself to safety. The boy recovered, while Khan sustained injuries that required long-term physiotherapy.
Following the medal presentation, Khan and children attending the ceremony decorated river rocks and gifted them to the river.
The Carnegie Medal is awarded to individuals in the United States and Canada who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.