A courier has won praise for helping to rescue an elderly woman from fast moving flood waters near Laurencekirk after her car became stranded.
Pegasus Couriers Dundee site manager David Aitken was on an unnamed road near the B966 and A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road during the heavy rain last week.
Downpours caused a number of roads across Aberdeenshire to close, with extensive flooding causing travel chaos for many motorists.
David was himself waiting for a recovery vehicle when he spotted the headlights of a vehicle approaching him.
He said: “I had gone to switch vans due to a breakdown at about 5pm. I was sitting in the van waiting for a recovery vehicle when I saw vehicle headlights approaching.
“The lights started to flicker and then went off. Given the distance from me, I realised that the car had stalled crossing the flooded road.”
The water was about knee deep and rising, David said, leaving him concerned for the person in the other vehicle’s safety.
‘If a car had to veer off the road it would sink’
He explained: “I was a bit concerned as while the water was shallow, it was fast flowing and if a car had to veer off the road, it would sink.”
David left his vehicle and waded through the water where he found a woman stuck in her car.
The courier said: “She was an elderly woman who could not walk without a walking aid.
“When I arrived she was on the phone with the police trying to give her location.
“As soon as she saw me, the driver’s door flung open and she asked for help.”
David agreed to help the woman reach a nearby farmhouse where police were waiting and had arranged for her to be sheltered for the evening.
Dashcam footage from his vehicle show the pair walking slowly through the water away from the woman’s car.
“I told her to grab my arm while I walked her to the vehicle that had come to collect me. I returned to the car to get her suitcase, walking sticks and laptop,” David said.
Praise for ‘selfless act’
Through a brief chat with the unknown woman, David learned she had been trying to reach Banchory.
He said: “She had been trying since the morning to get there, which is why she ended up on one of the side roads.”
Pegasus Couriers director Martin Smith has praised his employee for stepping up to help the woman.
“Who knows what could have happened if he did not help her? We are grateful that everyone is safe and that he took it upon himself to help someone in need.
“As a family-owned business, we are part of the community and encourage community involvement and assistance. This selfless act is a testament to this.”
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