A seventeen-year-old boy, Andrew Richards of Dolgellau, and his companion, sixteen-year-old Mark Heywood of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, have both received framed letters of appreciation signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Captain the Hon. V. M. Wyndham-Quin, R.N., for saving the life of a man off Barmouth, Merionethshire, on -jth August.

On the afternoon of yth August, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Jones of Stafford, who were taking part in a sailing race in their dinghy in Barmouth channel, saw a man and woman get into difficulties while swimming in the strong flood tide.

Because of the speed at which he was sailing, Mr. Jones could not immediately go to the help of the man, but with considerable presence of mind he took off his own life-jacket and threw it to the man before making for the woman. Andrew Richards and Mark Heywood were taking part in the same race and were astern of Mr. Jones's boat. They saw the man in the water and immediately sailed towards him. He had managed to put one arm through the life-jacket but was unconscious when the boys reached him. The two boys were able to support the man's weight with difficulty, but they could not pull him aboard their own boat without help. Before long the ferryman, Mr. W. D. Griffiths, accompanied by Mr. F.

Morris, a former member of the Barmouth life-boat crew, who had put out to help on hearing that somebody was in difficulty, reached them.

With their help the unconscious man was pulled into the boys' dinghy, and while Mark Heywood sailed the dinghy to the quay Andrew Richards began artificial respiration, using the Schaefer method.

When they reached the quay, Mr. E. Griffith, a member of the life-boat crew, took over the artificial respiration with the help of two other life-boat crew members Mr. E. D. Jones and Mr. W. Williams. The man regained consciousness and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Letters of appreciation were also sent to Mr. W. S. Jones, Mr. W. D. Griffiths, Mr. E. Griffith, Mr. E. D. Jones, Mr. W. Williams and Mr. F. Morris..