Man delighted to be reunited with second rescuer

LIFESAVERS: Anne and Peter had been recognised
for their efforts back in the 1970s. Now Andy Steggles
has had a chance to thank them himself.

A MAN who was saved from drowning in a local river more than 40 years ago has at last made contact with the man who dragged him from the water.
Last week we reported on Andy Steggles' reunion with Anne Morgan, who had helped resuscitate him on the banks of Hatchford Brook.
Their meeting, the first since that fateful day in 1973, was shown on BBC Midlands Today and Breakfast News.
At the end of the item there was an appeal to try and trace Peter Owen, the Chelmsley Wood man who had pulled three-year-old Andy onto dry land.
And the report caught the eye of Peter himself, who as it turns out had moved down to Dorset several decades ago and had missed the initial appeal from Andy to trace his rescuers.
In a LinkedIn post, the father-of-four, who now lives in the United States, has confirmed that he had travelled down to the West Country to meet with Peter.
"My original goal of this quest was to simply say thank you to Anne and Peter," said the 47-year-old.
"After what seems like a lifetime of searching, I was finally able to do this, thanks to many selfless people who went out of their way to help me.
"Anne and Peter are just incredible people – in so many ways, both with a similar wacky sense of humour and an amazingly positive attitude. While my initial quest is now complete, I feel even more satisfied that I now have two new friends with a connection and bond like no other."
He said it had been a lifetime's ambition to find the people who had rushed to his aid - he had trawled the web for clues and at one stage even hired a private investigator, but had repeatedly drawn a blank until earlier this year.
"If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s the importance of identifying those who have had the most positive impact on my life and taking the time to let them know – to thank them. Showing just a little gratitude can often mean as much to the person giving it as to the person receiving it.
"Hopefully some of those who read this story might take a moment to reflect on who their 'life savers' are and perhaps going one step further to reach out and let them know."