After nearly 30 years, an emotional Steve Aggett was yesterday finally able to thank Ian Williams for saving his life.

Speaking to Mr Williams from Britain through Skype, Mr Aggett said: “I have waited 30 years just to say thank you for everything. Everything you have done.

“Honestly, what you did for myself and my family ... I’m overwhelmed at the moment and so, so happy to see you. I have thought about you every day for 30 years.”

Mr Williams responded that Mr Aggett was more than welcome, and that he looks forward to being able to catch up in person soon.

The conversation was the first between the two since June 16, 1987, when Mr Williams pulled ten-year-old Mr Aggett from an electrified swimming pool at Waterloo House.

Mr Williams also attempted to save the life of Mr Aggett’s uncle Owen Lynch, pulling him from the pool and giving him CPR, but Mr Lynch was later pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

They were reunited after Mr Aggett appealed in The Royal Gazette yesterday for the public to help put him in touch with his lifesaver, prompting numerous responses from readers and ultimately leading to a trans-Atlantic Skype conversation set up from this newspaper’s office.

Asked about his recollection of the incident, Mr Williams said: “It was one of those days you never forget in your life. That’s for darn sure.”

He said that he had come to Waterloo House at around 1pm to fill in after doing a shift at his other job at Purvis Ltd. He was cleaning up the bar area when he heard a child screaming.

“I looked around and didn’t see anything because everything was at different levels. I thought I was just hearing something from the gas station.

“I had just about turned around when I caught a glimpse of a little head go up. I ran up to the top of the steps and he was still yelling. That’s when I realised it was a child. I ran up there, grabbed the child and pulled him out and started asking him what was wrong. He was pointing at his uncle, who was sprawled out in the pool, completely out. So I went back in again.

“As I was going toward him I could feel the tingling in my fingers, my arms, my legs and everything. I thought, ‘Well, it’s too late now,’ and I grabbed him. He was starting to go down. I grabbed him, pulled him back and out and started to give him CPR.

“His eyes came around a little bit, his pulse came around a little bit. He was here, but not really here, so the next thing I did was I grabbed one of the guys nearby and told him to call the police and ambulance.”

He said he remained at the scene for a little while longer before the manager sent him home for the evening. He later spoke to a lawyer and a reporter about the incident, but said after that he didn’t give the incident much thought.

“In the back of your mind you always kind of wonder what happened to people,” he said. “I thought eventually he or his family might come back, but sometimes after an incident like that it’s difficult for them.”

That changed at 7am yesterday, when he was awoken with a deluge of around 30 phone calls — including some from overseas — about yesterday’s story on the front page of The Royal Gazette.

He then reached out to this newspaper, but he was far from the only one. Throughout the day, this newspaper received tips from numerous members of the public to help us find Mr Williams, with others spreading the story online to help reunite the pair. While Mr Williams said he still remembers the incident clearly, it was never a story he ever felt the need to tell people about.

“I just do it because it’s the type of person I am,” he said. “That’s how I was brought up. My grandfather basically brought me up and over the years I’ve done a lot of things. I’ve tried to help people out, and people have helped me out as well.

“I also, at one time, gave a lady the Heimlich when I was working as a captain at the St George’s Club. She would come back every year and greet me. There have been a couple other incidents a couple of other times. I just seem to be at the right place at the right time.

“Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing or somewhere in the middle, I don’t know.

“It’s something I would do tomorrow again. Simple. It’s just how I am.”

Speaking after their conversation Mr Aggett said he was grateful to have the opportunity to thank Mr Williams for his actions, adding that he hopes to return to the Island this Spring to thank him again in person.