A Dundee delivery driver has been praised for helping to rescue an elderly woman after her car became stranded on a flooded road.
David Aitken, the site manager for Pegasus Couriers in Dundee, was on a road between the B966 and the A90 close to Laurencekirk during heavy rain last Friday when he met the woman.
David himself was waiting for a recovery vehicle after getting stuck in the severe weather and saw the headlights of another vehicle approaching.
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 occupants of the vehicle.
Water was fast-flowing
He said: “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 the woman stuck in her car.
He 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 showed the pair walking slowly through the water away from the woman’s car.
Praise for ‘selfless act’
Through a brief chat with the unknown woman, David learned she had been trying to reach Banchory.
He added: “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.
As a family-owned business, we are part of the community and encourage community involvement and assistance
Martin Smith
He said: “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.”
More heavy rain is being forecast for large parts of Dundee, Angus and Perthshire on Saturday.
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