The man who rescued an Angus family after their car plunged into icy water has played down his heroism.
As we reported, Montrose mother Fidaa Karkori, her husband Alexander and their 18-month-old son Zakaryah were trapped upside-down in a bog after the crash on the B976 Crathie and Tomintoul road.
They were unable to get out of the car but were freed by Euan Mackie, who was on his way to pick up a friend so she could attend his wedding blessing.
Euan and his wife Val, who run the Allargue Arms Hotel at Corgarff in Strathdon, were married in Malta but were to have their wedding blessed at the Lecht Ski Centre on Saturday.
Euan said: “I saw the tyre tracks disappearing off the road. I’m used to seeing that but they’d gone over a snow pole.”
As Euan slowed down he heard Alexander sounding the car’s horn.
After reversing he spotted the Ford Focus on its roof in a watery hollow and climbed down the hillside.
He managed to get a door open and got the family out through a rear door before comforting them ahead of emergency services arriving.
After being checked over by paramedics, the family were taken to Ballater by police to be given cups of tea before being collected by a friend.
Apart from a few bruises and scrapes they were unhurt.
Euan insisted he was doing what “anyone would have” in the circumstances and he added: “If I hadn’t seen the snow pole I wouldn’t have looked for the car.”