Patrick Vincent "Vince" Coleman (March 13th, 1872 - December 6th, 1917) was a Canadian train dispatcher who lost his life during the Halifax Explosion while he warned an oncoming train about the pending disaster.
On that fateful day, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship carrying a cargo of high explosives collided with a Norwegian vessel, SS Imo. Immediately thereafter Mont-Blanc caught fire, and the crew abandoned ship. The vessel drifted from near the mid-channel over to Pier 6 on the slack tide in a matter of minutes and beached herself. Vince and his boss Chief Clerk William Lovett were warned about the fire and the large munitions about to erupt, both men sent out warnings to oncoming trains in the area. After sending Lovett's message, Coleman and Lovett were said to have left the CGR depot. However, Coleman returned to the telegraph office and continued sending warning messages along the rail line as far as Truro to stop trains inbound for Halifax. At 9:04 AM, the Mont-Blanc exploded killing Coleman, Lovett, and close to 2,000 people. Coleman was made into a hero for his actions for preventing more deaths from the disaster.