THIS week’s From the Archives dives into the thrilling story of a lifesaver from Penarth.

Glenn George, 27, of Paget Terrace, dived 20 feet into the Penarth dock, saving the life of a teenager who couldn’t swim and had become trapped there.

He was awarded the Royal Humane Society Certificate in recognition of his bravery on Friday, August 1, 1969.

Mr George was a former Penarth Times reporter, who turned his hand to lecturing in hotel management at Oxford.

The award recognised the incident in which 15-year-old Nigel Rees Davies, of Maughan Terrace, Penarth, fell into 15 feet of water in the basin of the dock.

Fortunately a man named Leonard Wingren saw what had happened with a pair of binoculars and flagged down a passing car containing Mr George and his brother Derek, who sped off towards the dock at top speed. While Glenn stripped off in the car, Derek drove.

After arriving, he dived into the dock from a height of 20 feet, and pulled the boy to safety.

Chief Inspector Alexander Trigg of Penarth Police said that Mr George had no lifesaving training and “acted on the spur of the moment.”

Congratulations were also sent to Mr George by the Chief Superintendent of Barry Police.

Mr George received his reward from the Chairman of the Bench at Penarth’s Magistrates’ Court, Mr Cliff Prothero, who commended him on his “courage, initiative and bravery.”

“All I can hope is that other people will follow your example because in doing what you did you undoubtedly saved this boy’s life,” he added.