B.C.'s Josef Aschwanden wins bravery award for helping to save his mom

A nine-year-old British Columbia boy who helped rescue his mother when she became trapped under an all-terrain vehicle has been recognized with a bravery award.

The Cariboo Regional District says it and local firefighters presented Josef Aschwanden with a bravery certificate Friday for his actions just two days earlier.

On Wednesday, Aschwanden's mother was unloading the ATV from her truck in the community of Wildwood, near Williams Lake, when it slipped back and landed on her.

The boy, who had talked with his mother just days earlier about 911, called the emergency number.

In the meantime, they say, he wrapped her in a sleeping bag to keep her warm and avoid hypothermia.

Paramedics and volunteer firefighters arrived, freed the mother and took her to hospital accompanied by her son who gathered her personal belongings.

"Congratulations to Josef for learning about what to do in an emergency and being able to implement what he had learned from his parents about 911," says Steve Forseth, who represents the area on the regional district.

"This is a great example of how important it is for children of all ages and families to learn about 911, and know how to use the system in any emergency situation."