THIS is the brave Leigh soldier who helped to save a drowning tourist off the Croatian coast.

As reported in last week's Journal, warrant officer Michael Stott helped drag a Czech woman to safety with three army colleagues.

Michael, aged 37, organised the rescue operation which involved 62-year-old Eva Necasove being revived four times before she reached hospital.

The drama off the Adriatic island of Brac came when Michael was running wind-surfing sessions for soldiers.

Michael is a physical training instructor in the Army Physical Training Corps and is currently in charge of the Brac training centre where troops take a break from maintaining peace in Bosnia.

He was educated at St Mary's Secondary School, Astley, and joined the army in 1979.

He married his wife Kathy in June, just four days before his tour of Croatia began.

Michael's parents Donald and Kathleen still live in Leigh.

Michael is pictured with Mrs Necasove's husband, Jan.

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