2025 Winner
STEWART MILLER
Tayside plumber risked his life during killer storm Isha to save a woman from drowning in the River Tay
Stewart, 53, was walking his golden retriever Troy near the banks of the River Tay in Perth last January, when he heard cries for help coming from the water.
A woman was in the river, clinging to a tree in the middle of the fast-flowing current. Stewart ran to his van to fetch some rope, but soon realised the woman was too weak to pull herself to safety,
He called 999 and was urged by police not to go into the water. But after seeing how much the woman was struggling, he ignored the advice and swam out to her. He pulled her out of the river, and safely back to a log near the shore.
He said: “It was a really stormy night and I was wanting to get back inside but Troy kept barking at the water. I heard what I thought was a lamb but when I looked again it was a lady clinging to a branch.
“I phoned the police and they told me not to get into the water but I had no choice. If I hadn’t gone in then she wouldn’t be here.
“Troy and I both went into the water and swam out to her. She got a hold of me but we both went under. All I could think was ‘What have I done?’ But I finally managed to swim us back to the embankment and sat her down.”
Stewart added: “It was lucky I was there and I was able to do what I did. Was it stupid? Aye, a wee bit but I would do it again, I wasn’t going to stand by when she was in danger.”
The woman was taken to hospital and made a full recovery.
Stephen Leckie, Lord-lieutenant of Perth & Kinross said: “The Tay can be a very dangerous place, especially during a storm.”
“There were so many variables that night; had Stewart not been there, had he not followed his gut, had he not acted so quickly it could have been a very different story.”
“The level of bravery he displayed is to be expected from our emergency services but certainly not in everyday life. He risked his own life to save another and that is something to be very proud of.”