A north-east teenager who helped to pull a man to safety from a harbour has revealed he was acting on “pure instinct”.
Kyle Chapman, from Rothes, was recognised for his bravery yesterday for his part in trying to save the life of Darren Paxton at Macduff Harbour in July last year.
The 16-year-old and three friends leapt into action when they realised the man was struggling after he plunged into the chilly water from a pier.
Now Kyle, who is currently studying at Moray College before beginning an apprenticeship to become a mechanic, has been recognised by the Royal Humane Society to celebrate his contribution to the rescue.
He said: “It was just pure instinct, I don’t know where it came from. I’ve done first aid certificates in the past but I wouldn’t say I’ve had training to prepare me for anything like that.
“It all just kind of hit me after the man had been taken away. My family was pretty worried about me.”
Kyle was socialising with friends Jordan Anderson, who now lives in Aberdeen, and sisters Katlyn and Shannon Wilson, from Macduff, when the emergency situation arose on July 11 last year.
When the teens realised Mr Paxton was in difficulty, Jordan dived into the water in an attempt to reach him.
However, after he was stung by a jellyfish, the duo needed to be pulled back to shore by Kyle, who threw a lifebelt into the harbour.
Mr Paxton died in hospital the following day. However, the youngsters were praised for giving him the best possible chance of survival before emergency services arrived.
Army cadets Jordan, Shannon and Katlyn received their awards as part of their summer training camp at Garelochhead last month.
Yesterday Kyle received his recognition from the Lord Lieutenant of Moray, Lt Col Grenville Johnston.
Lt Col Johnston said: “I got a phone call from the cadets to ask me if I was willing to present this award – I was honoured and delighted.
“This must have been a frightening incident for everyone who was involved. Whether it was instinct, or whatever it was, it’s very impressive to hear of young people acting like this.”
