They say not all heroes wear capes and seven Jamaicans have this year been recognised for proving exactly that.

Able to display bravery in the face of danger, their acts of heroism have not gone unnoticed as these men and women are now set to receive badges of honour for gallantry in acknowledgement of their quick thinking in saving the lives of others.

Jeffery Lloyd Bowen will be recognised for saving a young boy from drowning on July 31, 2020.

On the day in question, approximately 7:00 pm, Bowen had noticed a young boy fighting to stay afloat in crocodile-infested waters in Bridgeport, St Catherine.

After several failed attempts to call out to the boy, Bowen jumped into the water and rescued him. It was later discovered that the child was hearing impaired.

Badges for gallantry – announced on August 6 among the National Honours and Awards for 2022 and being presented today (October 17) on National Heroes Day – have also been awarded to Tanesha Brown, Junior Clark, Aselee Sutherland and Cedesiha Williams for their quick action during an incident on March 10, this year, where they prevented the abduction of a young schoolgirl.

Brown, Sutherland and Williams were passengers in a company vehicle driven by their co-worker, Clark, when they observed unusual activities taking place in a Toyota Probox taxi at the intersection of Mountain View Avenue and Tucker Avenue. On observation, a young schoolgirl was seen as the lone passenger inside the vehicle being pulled by her neck by the driver. They also noticed that one of her legs was hanging from the moving vehicle.

The driver of the company vehicle began to engage in a high-speed chase, following the taxi driver to make it known that they were aware of his plans. After several failed attempts on the part of the taxi driver to throw off his pursuers, he threw the girl from the taxi on Mountain View Avenue.

Brown, Sutherland, Williams and Clark assisted the girl to the National Stadium Police Station where the matter was reported, and the girl was handed over to the police.

They are being honoured for their exemplary bravery in preventing the abduction of a young schoolgirl and for their lifesaving action.

Less than a month before that incident, on February 15, Winston Thorpe and Josiah Wright saved the life of a policeman who had been shot and left for dead.

The men, seeing the policeman lying on the ground, approached him and discovered that he had been shot the day before and was suffering life-threatening injuries. They contacted a police station and stayed with the injured policeman until help arrived.

They are being recognised for their exemplary heroism in saving the life of a police officer.