Constables tried to save boys who fell through ice on Scarborough pond

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Two Toronto Police officers will be awarded the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery for their attempts to save two boys who fell through the ice of a Scarborough stormwater detention pond in December 2006.

Constables Jennifer Anderson and Mark Tan were presented with the medals at a ceremony Friday, Nov. 21 at Queen's Park.

The two police officers were among the first emergency personnel to arrive at the pond near Morningside and Old Finch avenues on the afternoon of Dec. 10, 2006. Two boys, Kishoban Alakeswaran, 15, and Birunthan Muralidaran, 11, had fallen through the thin ice of the pond.

Anderson and Tan started on to the ice-covered pond themselves in order to attempt a rescue but also fell through the ice. Despite this, they swam toward the deeper water in the middle of the pond and tried to reach the boys a number of times.

Due to the murky water and the fact that both boys had gone under, the officers were unable to find the youngsters.

Suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia, the officers themselves had to be rescued from the water by other emergency personnel.

Tragically, both Alakeswaran and Muralidaran died as a result of the incident.

The City of Toronto recently named a park in the area after Muralidaran.