B.C. man reunites with Nova Scotia stranger, 56 years after being saved from drowning

After driving by the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog jumping in the waves, but then realized it was too cold to swim.

"And then I looked back and all I saw were little arms and legs moving," Brian says.

Without thinking, Brian ran into the frozen water until he was chest deep and saw a small child floating down.

"It was very painful," says Brian. "I was afraid that when he didn't move... something bad had happened."

When Brian turned the small body over, he saw the face of a small boy.

"His face was red and then he took a deep breath," Brian says. Brian took the boy in his arms and carried him safely to the beach. “You know it was a gift. Thank you very much."

This happened in 1968, when Brian was barely 18 years old. The boy he rescued, Michael Pickup, had just turned two.

"And that was the last time I saw Michael," Brian says. Until about three weeks ago."

Michael had grown up in British Columbia and came across an old newspaper article about the incident titled "Child Saved from Drowning" and realized it was more than just a story about an adventurous child.

"If it wasn't for this guy, I'd be dead," Michael says from his office in Victoria. I was not here today."

So Michael started looking online for Brian in British Columbia and then found him in Nova Scotia before flying across the country to meet for the first time in 56 years.

"It was like we knew each other without knowing each other," says Michael. It was really beautiful."

"That was the move," adds Brian.

While Brian received several thank-you letters from Michael's family at the time, calling him "brave" and a "miracle," Michael was finally able to express his gratitude in person, calling Brian a hero.

"It affects you in a way that you can't put into words," says Brian.

Michael says the experience inspired him to return the favor by helping others. In addition to serving as Auditor General of British Columbia, he recently received the King's Coronation Medal for outstanding public service.

"You can't live in the past, you can't live in the future," Brian says. You only have today."

So, says Brian, enjoy every moment and always help others do the same.

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