An emergency vehicle that attended the aftermath of the Lockerbie bombing will retire after 40 years on the job.
The sad announcement came from the Braemar Mountain Rescue Team on social media that “The Old Flex” was being retired.
The vehicle will have a new home at Glenshee ski centre.
It had attended some high-profile incidents during its long tenure, most notably the aftermath of the wreckage of the Pan Am 103 flight in December 1988.
The Boeing 747 was flying from London to New York when it exploded in midair over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans.
The wreckage scattered across the sky, killing an additional 11 people, when debris struck their homes on the ground.
Old Flex was equipped with unique caterpillar treads, allowing it to move across tough terrain.
It also assisted during a rescue mission when an F15 fighter jet crashed on Ben Mcdhui in March 2001.
Rescue vehicle retires to ski resort after 40 years of service
Braemar MRT said the vehicle will spend the rest of its life at Glenshee Ski Resort, having worked a good shift.
A statement from Braemar MRT read: “A sad wee day for the team yesterday as we withdrew the grand old lady of the team from service, ‘the old flex’.
“She has been in service in Mountain Rescue since 1985 and has been a welcome sight for many of the Braemar team on callouts, as well as neighbouring teams and casualties as she appeared out of blizzards on wild winter nights to pick up troops.
“She has gone into retirement at Glenshee ski centre. If you see her up there, throw up a wee salute and thank her for her service.”
The team are now supported by “Wee Flex”, the little sister who is only 21 years old and has a long way to go before it also gets to enjoy retirement.
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