A Polish Displaced Person who gave his life to save six fellow miners has been posthumously awarded the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy's medal for braverythe Canadian mining industry's ." Victoria Cross."
The medal was presented at the annual meeting by Dr. A. . G. Dufresne, Quebec Deputy Minister of Mines. It was accepted by Fr. Titus Wiktor, pastor in Val d'Or, Quebec, which had been Mr. Koltan's parish.
Mr. Kahan was an employee of the East Sullivan mine. He was working to dislodge blocked ore when a dynamite bomb was placed in a crevice.
A of ore fell, pinning one miner. The bomb, its fuse burning, also fell near the helpless man. Others rushed to free the trapped man.
Realizing the rescue would take too long, Koltan picked up the bomb and ran with it, " knowing that he courted certain death."
Seconds later it exploded, killing him instantly.
The miner pinned under the rock and the five who rushed to the rescue were slightly injured.