It was sixth time lucky for a team of daredevil fund-raisers who took to the air for a sponsored skydive.
Workmates Nikki Wood, Bethan Starling, Stephanie Hamilton and Sarah Ritchie conquered their terror of heights and collected just over £10,300 for north-east urological cancer charity Ucan.
The foursome, from the Aberdeen office of international subsea inspection, repair and maintenance company Harkand, had to postpone the challenge five times due to bad weather but finally went ahead at an airfield near St Andrews.
Going under the name, the Harkand Angels, they were put forward for the tandem parachute jump by the company’s fundraising committee after revealing they all had the same anxiety about heights.
The cash raised from the 13,000ft jump will go towards Ucan’s campaign to bring Scotland’s first robotically-assisted surgical system to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
More than £1million has been raised so far and another £1.5million is needed.
Harkand’s Aberdeen office chose Ucan as its nominated charity because its work is particularly relevant to the firm’s predominantly male workforce of ROV operators, surveyors, divers and vessel crew.
Miss Wood said: “We were all totally petrified the closer it came to the date but knowing people had put their money behind us for such a good cause was such a great incentive and gave us the push we needed to get into our Harkand Angels’ overalls and on to the plane.
“All I remember is a lot of screaming initially and then an exhilarating feeling on the way down. I’m really proud of our team effort, the encouragement we gave each other to do this and the brilliant donations people have so generously given.”
Ucan was launched in late 2005 to raise awareness of prostate, testicular, kidney and bladder cancers and support patients and their families.
To support the Harkand Angels, go to the website
http://www.justgiving.com/Harkand-Angels
.