T.O.M

It's possible the piston skirt survived and the cylinder still has chrome. In that case he could do as you suggested and simply clean it. If the ring is still springy and the cylinder has chrome it might work.

But if it's been heated too hot the ring could be brittle and crumble when he attempts to remove it from the piston. It's possible the cylinder is completely worn down to noting and there is little or no chrome plating left.

You could be right. We'll probably never know. I doubt we'll see any detailed pics of the engine in question.