Robert Gordon Teather
Encyclopedia
Robert Gordon Teather was a 28-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(R.C.M.P.) who was awarded the Cross of Valour
, Canada's highest award for bravery, for a rescue he performed in 1981.
Cpl. Teather was born in Hamilton, Ontario
where he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in September 1967. Upon graduation he began and ended his service in British Columbia RCMP "E" Division. During Cpl. Teather's 30 year career with the RCMP he worked in Uniform Patrol and as a Hostage Taker-Barricaded Person Negotiator. He was also a RCMP Diver and Diving Instructor who lectured to police officers, firefighters, doctors and others throughout Canada and the U.S.A., on diving techniques, underwater crime scene photography, ice diving procedures and many other topics that are diving related. Cpl Teather was also the driving force behind getting a dive team up and operational within "E" Division. It was as a result of his persistence and dedication that the "E" Division Dive Team (known today as the Underwater Recovery Team) was formally recognized on April 1, 1977.
Cpl. Teather died at the age of 57, on November 15, 2004 at Surrey Memorial Hospital
of natural causes after a battle with diabetes.
Robert Teather, a member of the Surrey Detachment Diving Team of the R.C.M.P., rescued two fishermen trapped in the overturned hull of a boat. Early that morning, the boat Respond collided with a freighter
near the mouth of the Fraser River
, in British Columbia
. The boat capsize
d with the two crewmen stranded on board. Cpl. Teather and a colleague arrived on the scene and an exploratory dive proved that only one could enter the hull
at a time. Teather was inexperienced in this type of rescue, but was aware that the boat was sinking and that qualified help was miles away. Despite the lack of personnel support and unaware if the two crew members were alive he entered the companionway
. As visibility was limited to a few centimetres inside as he made his way into the engine room. Most of the way through the ship was done by touch. When he reached the galley, he opened the door, and made his way to front of the vessel. In an air pocket fouled by diesel
fumes he found the two men, one of them a non-swimmer, and their pet dog. He instructed both on the use of underwater breathing equipment, and then took the non-swimmer on his back to safety. The door to the galley that Teather had opened shut on him, and he managed to feel his way around to the handle to open it. During that time, the seaman panicked and knocked his rescuer's mask off, but Teather managed to pin the man against the wall of the galley, put the man's goggles and rebreather
back on, get the man to the surface where the anther diver took over. Teather then retrieved the other survivor.
While at the surface, Teather strongly suggested that he go back down to the vessel with a bucket filled with air, put the dog's head in the bucket, and assist the dog in reaching the surface. Senior officials frowned upon the idea, stating the dog's life is not worth his own with the possibility of being trapped in the vessel. Consequently, he was relieved to find the next day when the ship was towed to shore and up onto the dock, the dog somehow managed to stay alive and came out of the ship.
Had Teather not undertaken the rescue, the two fishermen would likely have drowned or succumbed to asphyxiation. For his efforts he was awarded the Cross of Valour, the highest ranking of the Canadian Bravery Decorations
. Currently, there have been only 20 recipients of this award; he was Canada's 13th recipient.
, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the nine new vessels in a new class of midshore patrol vessels would be named the Hero-class patrol vessels, and would each be named after a Canadian hero.
One of the new vessels will be named the CCGS Corporal Teather C.V..
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(R.C.M.P.) who was awarded the Cross of Valour
Cross of Valour (Canada)
The Cross of Valour is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest award , the highest honour available for Canadian civilians, and the highest of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations...
, Canada's highest award for bravery, for a rescue he performed in 1981.
Cpl. Teather was born in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
where he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in September 1967. Upon graduation he began and ended his service in British Columbia RCMP "E" Division. During Cpl. Teather's 30 year career with the RCMP he worked in Uniform Patrol and as a Hostage Taker-Barricaded Person Negotiator. He was also a RCMP Diver and Diving Instructor who lectured to police officers, firefighters, doctors and others throughout Canada and the U.S.A., on diving techniques, underwater crime scene photography, ice diving procedures and many other topics that are diving related. Cpl Teather was also the driving force behind getting a dive team up and operational within "E" Division. It was as a result of his persistence and dedication that the "E" Division Dive Team (known today as the Underwater Recovery Team) was formally recognized on April 1, 1977.
Cpl. Teather died at the age of 57, on November 15, 2004 at Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey Memorial Hospital is a publicly funded hospital in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.-Overview:Surrey Memorial Hospital began operations in 1959, and is one of 12 hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Fraser Health Authority, which services more than 1.3 million people.Surrey...
of natural causes after a battle with diabetes.
The rescue
On 26 September 1981, CorporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Robert Teather, a member of the Surrey Detachment Diving Team of the R.C.M.P., rescued two fishermen trapped in the overturned hull of a boat. Early that morning, the boat Respond collided with a freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
near the mouth of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
, in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The boat capsize
Capsize
Capsizing is an act of tipping over a boat or ship to disable it. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting.If a capsized vessel has sufficient flotation to prevent sinking, it may recover on its own if the stability is such that it is not stable inverted...
d with the two crewmen stranded on board. Cpl. Teather and a colleague arrived on the scene and an exploratory dive proved that only one could enter the hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
at a time. Teather was inexperienced in this type of rescue, but was aware that the boat was sinking and that qualified help was miles away. Despite the lack of personnel support and unaware if the two crew members were alive he entered the companionway
Companionway
In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. This meaning of "companion" is derived from French and Italian terms meaning "the chamber of the company,"...
. As visibility was limited to a few centimetres inside as he made his way into the engine room. Most of the way through the ship was done by touch. When he reached the galley, he opened the door, and made his way to front of the vessel. In an air pocket fouled by diesel
Diesel exhaust
Diesel exhaust is the exhaust gas of a diesel engine....
fumes he found the two men, one of them a non-swimmer, and their pet dog. He instructed both on the use of underwater breathing equipment, and then took the non-swimmer on his back to safety. The door to the galley that Teather had opened shut on him, and he managed to feel his way around to the handle to open it. During that time, the seaman panicked and knocked his rescuer's mask off, but Teather managed to pin the man against the wall of the galley, put the man's goggles and rebreather
Rebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
back on, get the man to the surface where the anther diver took over. Teather then retrieved the other survivor.
While at the surface, Teather strongly suggested that he go back down to the vessel with a bucket filled with air, put the dog's head in the bucket, and assist the dog in reaching the surface. Senior officials frowned upon the idea, stating the dog's life is not worth his own with the possibility of being trapped in the vessel. Consequently, he was relieved to find the next day when the ship was towed to shore and up onto the dock, the dog somehow managed to stay alive and came out of the ship.
Had Teather not undertaken the rescue, the two fishermen would likely have drowned or succumbed to asphyxiation. For his efforts he was awarded the Cross of Valour, the highest ranking of the Canadian Bravery Decorations
Canadian Bravery Decorations
The Canadian Bravery Decorations are a group of Canadian medals awarded for bravery. They are part of the Canadian Honour System created in 1967. The awards themselves were established in 1972...
. Currently, there have been only 20 recipients of this award; he was Canada's 13th recipient.
Author
Cpl. Teather was a published author whose works included On Patrol with the Royal Canadian Mounted, Mountie Makers, The Scarlet Tunic, and Encyclopedia of Underwater Investigations; which is now part of the course training standards for police divers.The CCGS Corporal Teather C.V.
On February 10, 2011, Gail SheaGail Shea
Gail Shea, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, currently the Member of Parliament for Egmont. She was previously a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 2000 to 2007, representing the electoral district of Tignish-DeBlois as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.As...
, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the nine new vessels in a new class of midshore patrol vessels would be named the Hero-class patrol vessels, and would each be named after a Canadian hero.
One of the new vessels will be named the CCGS Corporal Teather C.V..