In a heartwarming reunion marking an extraordinary act of heroism, two Scots have come together 60 years after one saved the life of the other. The event took place at Glasgow's City Chambers, where Neil McPhee, now 74, presented a new Bravery medal to Tony Lenaghan, aged 79, for his actions on September 1, 1965, at the Govan Baths in Glasgow.

On that fateful day, McPhee, then a 14-year-old boy, suffered a tragic accident while swimming. After an injury caused him to drown, there were no lifeguards present, and staff were focused on clearing the pool of other children while McPhee remained submerged. It was Lenaghan, then 19, who, upon learning of the situation, bravely dived into the deep end of the pool to pull McPhee to safety.

“I was getting ready when a woman ran past and said there’s a wee dead boy in there,” Lenaghan recounted. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, Lenaghan insisted, “You’ve got to get him out.” After retrieving McPhee, who was not breathing and displayed signs of turning blue, Lenaghan administered CPR for approximately ten minutes. He vividly described the moment when “a pink spot appeared on [McPhee’s] cheek,” indicating that his efforts were reviving the boy. Eventually, McPhee coughed up water and began to breathe again.

“That was the last time I’d seen him,” Lenaghan said, reflecting on the experience. For years, he had no knowledge of McPhee's fate, nor of the Bravery award he received shortly after the incident—a medal that would later go missing due to theft in a burglary in 1990.

Last year, McPhee embarked on a mission to track down his rescuer. He recalled, “I’d been at the swimming baths and a ring fell off my finger and I went down to the bottom to get it. Halfway there, I began to struggle.” Misunderstood by a friend who thought he was joking, McPhee was kicked in the face just before losing consciousness. He awoke to see Lenaghan performing CPR, a moment etched in his memory.

Upon reconnecting, McPhee expressed his gratitude, stating, “Everything I’ve done since the age of 14 is down to Tony.” He facilitated the replacement of Lenaghan's stolen medal—a unique tribute as the original awards system represented by the Glasgow Corporation no longer exists.

At the medal presentation, Lenaghan acknowledged the emotional impact of reuniting with McPhee. “That little boy contacted me. It was quite emotional,” he said, adding that the two shared a heartfelt conversation about their lives since that day. McPhee has enjoyed a successful career, first at BT, then as the director of a construction company, and has raised a family despite the passing of his wife last year.

The touching reunion serves as a powerful reminder of the unexpected bonds created through acts of courage and kindness.

Source: Noah Wire Services