A medal for not being killed

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I wrote about a national quiz show where contestants are asked questions about a subject that they’ve chosen for themselves. One of the contestants had chosen the Sydney Harbour Bridge as their subject. The construction of the bridge provided work for hundreds during the Great Depression. Conditions were difficult and hazardous, with very little safety equipment provided. At one point, the contestant was shown this medal. The inscription reads: ‘To Vincent R Kelly, to mark his preservation from serious injury on falling into the harbour, a distance of 182 feet, 23rd October, 1930.’ Vincent Kelly was a boilermaker who fought in France during World War I. When he returned to Australia, he got work on the bridge as a rivetter. Kelly was using a heavy riveting gun on the road deck of the bridge when he slipped and fell over 55 metres into the harbour. Luckily, he was an experienced diver and managed to turn a somersault and land feet first in the water, before surfacing and swimming to safety. Apart from a few broken ribs and shock, he was uninjured and returned to work a fortnight later. I wonder how many medals have been awarded to people for avoiding death in such a way.