AN EIGHTEEN-year-old Petersfield mechanic who punched his way into a locked garage in order to cut down a man who had hanged himself, and then revived the man with resuscitation techniques, has been awarded one of the countryÕs top lifesaving honours.

Steven Kirwin of Queens Road, Petersfield, is to receive a Royal Humane Society Rususcitation Certificate in recognition of the remarkable rescue on May 4.

The Humane Society citation says that at 10-30 am the manÕs wife raised the alarm. Steven found the garage locked from the inside but managed to punch a hole in the door with his fist to release the lock. Then he went in and found the man, who has not been identified, and cut him down.

By this time the man had stopped breathing but Steven managed to bring him back from the brink of death by giving him cardiac massage. The man gasped and began to breathe again. An ambulance then arrived and took the man to hospital.

In addition to the award, Steven is to receive, he also won the personal praise of Major General Christopher Tyler, secretary of the Royal Humane Society.

Speaking at the societyÕs London headquarters, he said: ÒThis was truly a remarkable rescue by Mr Kirwin. There was clearly no way he was going to let this man die, as he punched through the garage door with his own fist before having to then perform a text-book resuscitation. He thoroughly deserves his award.Ó

At the same time Maj Gen Tyler appealed for information from the public on any incidents that may merit awards from the society.

ÒWe are always keen to have rescue and lifesaving incidents brought to our attention. We consider there are probably a lot of incidents which merit awards but which are never brought to our notice,Ó he said.

No date has yet been fixed for the presentation of the award in this case, which has been made on the recommendation of the Chief Constable of Hampshire, but it is expected to take place in the near future.

The Royal Humane Society, whose president is Princess Alexandra, was originally formed by a group of London doctors in 1774, and is the leading UK organisation for honouring lifesavers and those who have been involved in heroic rescue incidents.