By Jon Perez, Canadian Catholic News

“No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).”

This Gospel passage precisely describes the love of Christopher and Joseph Novecosky, who died trying to save two young family members from drowning Nov. 4, 2023, near Humboldt, 115 km east of Saskatoon.

Tragically, Chris Novecosky and his nephew Joe Novecosky perished while trying to save the two girls who fell into the thin, icy portion of Humboldt Lake. Ava Novecosky, one of the two children, also drowned.

The unselfish heroism of Chris and Joe has posthumously earned them the international Carnegie Medal for heroism, along with 16 other recent recipients from across North America. The award is given to individuals in the U.S. and Canada who braved danger to save or attempt to save the lives of others.

Novecosky family members remain devastated by the tragedy, and continue to grieve the deaths of Chris, 38, Joe, 28, and Ava, 7. However, the family has been coping with the help of relatives and friends and the support of others who have also experienced loss, as well as with counselling and prayer.

“A big part of how I’m coping is being surrounded by family and people going through the same thing as me. It is beneficial not to be alone. Lots of praying and the support we’ve had has helped us cope. We have been taking care of ourselves and talking to people,” said Kristen Bilawchuk, bereaved wife of Chris Novecosky.

“I’ve been educating myself about grief and talking about it is a big help. Being open and honest about our feelings is one of the biggest things that’s been helping me. Being vulnerable, for me, is helpful,” she said.

During an interview about the Carnegie heroism award, Andrew Novecosky – Joe’s father and Chris’ brother — wore a shirt that bears the passage from John 15:13. Andrew emphasized the importance of faith, describing how he has met with a counselor and a priest, and has prayed for God’s help in his grief.

“We’ve taken this to prayer with Holy Hours, the Rosary, and Mass. We need to trust in the Lord through our pain, and know there is no quick fix to the pain and loss. It’s not going to get better today or tomorrow. It will be a long journey,” said Andrew.

The family wants Chris and Joe to be remembered as courageous and kind-hearted men who were always ready to lend a helping hand to family or friends, said Andrew. Both Chris and Joe were raised in the Catholic faith and had many Christ-like qualities.

“Chris had a quiet kind of self-confidence and self-assuredness. He was an amazing husband, friend, and son. Like Joe, he liked to help people. Chris was very artistic as well. He was very much into music and art and liked different things,” said Kristen. “Music was probably his biggest passion. He also liked travelling and learning new things. He was very empathetic, witty and intelligent. He was someone that exuded love and made me feel unconditionally loved. He was the perfect definition of what a spouse should be.”

Andrew added that his son Joe was a virtuous and courageous person who used his God-given talents for others. He was popular among his peers for being a leader and having a sense of humour. “He was the kind of guy that his friends wanted to be with and be like, and he was a leader. He was courageous and never passed up a chance to help other people,” said Andrew. “Both Joe and Chris were tradesmen. They could fix almost anything and would never say no to helping a friend or family member if needed. Joe also had a great sense of humour.”

Andrew said he learned about other sides of his son from his friends, such as how unselfish, protective, and caring Joe was. Joe often reached out and supported those who struggled with mental health. “He did so many inspiring things as a young man,” said Andrew

He also recalled the unfortunate day when Joe and Chris were installing a boiler in the house of a family member at Humboldt Lake when they heard screams that the two young girls had fallen through the ice.

“Both Chris and Joe were unselfish and courageous. Two girls were in danger, and they ran to the danger and not away from it. They knew the risk involved and went out to rescue the two girls. I’m not surprised by their courage, willing to risk their lives.”

Despite giving everything they had in trying to rescue the two girls, the two men did not survive as they struggled, and exhaustion took its toll as in the freezing water of the lake. “Heather and Fred (the parents of the two children) were out there with the guys. Fred pushed out life jackets to them as well. Their effort helped save Evelyn, and they also played a role of heroism,” said Kristen. “Evelyn probably would have passed away had it not for the efforts of Heather and Fred.”

“The Carnegie Medal is a great consolation for us. In my mind, it solidifies the character and the heroic act that Chris and Joe did that day,” added Andrew.

“We want to make sure whenever their names are mentioned, whenever they are thought of by people who knew them or heard about what happened, they know without a doubt that these two men were heroes in the greatest sense of the word.”

In conclusion, Andrew emphasized that the family wants Chris and Joe to be remembered as two unselfish individuals who gave their lives to save others—just as Jesus did, dying on the cross that we might have eternal life.

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Jon Perez is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon.