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Dam worker honoured for saving woman who fell into Niagara River

Ontario Power Generation employee Enzo Napoli closed gates, called 911, used life ring to keep woman afloat
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An electrical company employee who saved the life of a woman who had fallen into the Niagara River is receiving an award for his courage and calm under pressure.

While on shift at the OPG International Control Dam upstream from Niagara Falls in September 2021, Ontario Power Generation employee Enzo Napoli saw a woman fall into the water. 
 
Napoli immediately closed all inside gates, called 911, and used a life ring to keep the woman afloat, pulling her away from further danger in the water. 
 
The OPG employee stayed with the woman, and ensured she was safe, until police and paramedics arrived to pull her to safety. 
 
“I applaud Enzo for his quick and caring actions in ensuring the safety of a community member,” said Ken Hartwick, president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do at OPG, and Enzo’s alertness and knowledge of what to do in an emergency exemplifies OPG’s strong safety culture.”
 
For Napoli’s display of extraordinary courage while on the job in preventing the woman from drowning, Electricity Canada presented him with a 2022 Lifesaving Award.

“In the electricity industry, safety is always paramount to everything we do,” Francis Bradley, president and CEO of Electricity Canada said in a news release. “These employees have bravely used their situational awareness and first aid training to assist members of their community and prevent potential tragedies. Electricity Canada wishes to honour Enzo Napoli for saving a life through his quick thinking and resourcefulness."

Now in its 100th year, the Lifesaving Awards are granted annually to any on-duty employee of an Electricity Canada member utility who was involved in a lifesaving attempt or acted to prevent further harm to someone who needed immediate help. 
 
These individuals often risk their own lives to help a stranger in need. 

Added Tony Baldinelli, MP for Niagara Falls: “Our communities and workplaces are made safer with brave people like Enzo Napoli, who act quickly, courageously, and decisively in emergency situations. Congratulations to Enzo for being recognized with the 2022 Lifesaving Award from Electricity Canada, and most importantly, saving the life of someone in distress.”

The Lifesaving Awards are presented as part of the Occupational Health and Safety program at Electricity Canada, designed to track and monitor safety records of member utilities.

This year’s awards were presented at the 5th annual Electricity Canada Powering Partnerships summit in Ottawa to nine individuals from four utilities.