Aberfan survivor was speaking to students about the 1966 tragedy when a 10-year-old showed him a photo — it made his hair stand on end
A single photograph can sometimes take people back to a moment that changed their lives forever. An emotional meeting between an Aberfan disaster survivor and a schoolboy recently did exactly that. As reported by BBC News on Sunday, June 7, 2026, Gareth Jones was speaking to school pupils about his experience of surviving the tragedy when a young student raised his hand with a question. The visit took place as communities prepared to mark 60 years since the disaster. Jones had spent years sharing his memories with younger generations, but this particular conversation brought an unexpected and deeply personal connection to the surface.
During the session, 10-year-old Noah held up a photograph and asked Jones whether he recognized the individual in it. As soon as the man spotted it, he was shocked. “The hairs were standing on the back of my neck," he remarked. In the picture was Stephen Andrew, the caretaker of Pantglas Primary, the school which suffered the disaster. Recalling the harrowing incident, he mentioned that while the building was moments away from going into ruins, a person "on the other side of the window" grabbed him, pulled him out, and made him run. The survivor only knew that the caretaker saved him that day. It was only when the picture resurfaced years later that he learned the good Samaritan's identity. Turns out, the man was Noah's great-grandfather.
"I was absolutely gobsmacked... that bit of the jigsaw has come together," the man remarked. The 10-year-old knew about the incident since he had heard stories about his great-grandpa's valor. The meeting also brought attention to the events of 21 October 1966. On that morning, a colliery spoil tip collapsed above the school, sending a huge wave of slurry onto the school and nearby homes. Andrew was on his way there when he witnessed the tragedy unfold. He rushed to help, and Jones was among the first he had rescued that day. However, Andrew's own family suffered terrible losses. He helped save children trapped in the rubble, but unfortunately, his sons, Kelvin and Malcolm, were among the kids who died. Jones' visit also allowed students to hear directly from someone who had witnessed the incident.
The effort to keep those memories alive extended beyond Wales. Another survivor, Gaynor Madgwick, recently spoke to students in the United States through a video call. She described surviving the disaster but later learning that her brother, sister, and many friends had died. According to the British Geological Survey, along with the school, around 18 farmhouses and cottages were destroyed. Apart from the children, 28 adults, including five teachers, also lost their lives. Like Jones and Madgwick, those who have heard and witnessed the story unfold are now spreading awareness, while remembering and honoring their deceased loved ones.