The two Angus farmworkers seriously injured when their telehandler plunged over a cliff have told their families they were lucky not to be taken with their vehicle.
Ian Murray (52) and David Alston (17) suffered serious crush injuries as they tried to stop the vehicle running out of control and toppling over the cliff edge at Buckie Mill, at the north end of Lunan Bay, on Wednesday afternoon.
Both men are in Ninewells Hospital Mr Murray with several fractures including to his pelvis and ribs and Mr Alston with a broken pelvis.
The accident happened as they were repairing a fence along the top of the cliffs.
Mr Murray was already out of the handler and Mr Alston jumped clear as it ran out of control and ended up 60 yards down the cliff face.
A Ninewells spokesman described Mr Murray’s condition as “serious but stable” and Mr Alston’s as “stable.”
Mr Murray’s wife Jennifer said she had visited the accident scene.
“I got a shock when I looked over the edge and saw what had happened to the digger,” she said. “It is just starting to hit me this morning how much more serious it could have been.
“He has a few broken bits in the pelvic area but it’s not as bad as first thought. He has had a comfortable night and he may be operated on this morning.
“If the accident had happened on concrete it might have been worse. It might have helped being on grass.”
David Alston snr said the injuries to his son were also not as bad as expected.
“David jumped off and it may be the two were crushed trying to get hold of it to stop it slipping.
“Though injured, David was able to use his mobile phone to get me at the office.
“I contacted the ambulance and was first at the scene of the accident. They were both conscious, able to wiggle their toes and speak to me.”
Ross Greenhill, Montrose sector manager for the coastguard, said both men were “lucky to be alive.”
The coastguard was called to help the ambulance crews get to the injured men. Members assisted the paramedics get Mr Murray on to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Helimed helicopter and carry Mr Alston up the field to a waiting ambulance.
“They were extremely lucky not to be taken with the digger,” said Mr Greenhill.
“It is a big, hefty machine and there is not a lot you can do when it goes out of control.
“The young lad was very, very lucky he was able to jump off. I believe he was pinned by it against one of the fence strainer posts. It could have been an awful lot worse.”
The Health and Safety Executive is conducting an inquiry.
“At the moment the investigation is being led by Tayside Police and we are working closely with them,” said a spokeswoman.
“One of our inspectors will visit the site in due course. It would be normal in this sort of incident to also check the vehicle involved.”
The damaged vehicle was recovered from the cliffs on Thursday using “Big Maggie” the mobile crane and “Wee Mossie” the tractor winch from Chisholm’s Recovery Services in Perth.