A firefighter was rushed to hospital after the appliance in which he was travelling rolled down a slope in Blairgowrie on to the banks of the River Ericht.
The incident happened at around 12.30pm yesterday as the crew helped search for missing youngster Declan Riley, who was later found safe and well.
The fire engine, which was parked on sheet ice on the track to Cargill’s Leap on the Blairgowrie side of the river, slipped and left the road, rolling down on to the icy ground below.
The firefighter escaped serious injury and was last night recovering at home.
Tayside Fire and Rescue said in a statement, “Initially a fire engine from Blairgowrie was dispatched with a thermal image camera to assist in the search.
“A further additional fire engine was requested to attend the incident. In order to gain access to the scene, an appliance had to manoeuvre along an unmade, ice-covered track which runs adjacent to the banks of the River Ericht.
“While the fire engine was parked at the scene, the combination of sheet ice and the camber of the track caused the fire engine to lose traction and slide down the embankment in an uncontrolled manner.”
“The firefighter was taken to Ninewells Hospital by ambulance for a precautionary check-up. As a result of the accident the firefighter sustained cuts and bruises and was later released from hospital and has now returned home.Investigation”Tayside Fire and Rescue will conduct an internal investigation into the accident.”
Witnesses spoke of how they rushed to the stricken vehicle and lifted their injured colleague out of the cab on to a backboard.
He was given initial treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital as a crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the drama.
Chris Hayler said she heard “an almighty bang” from her Riverside Drive home on the opposite bank. She said, “It was a scary one, it made me jump it was so loud.
“The police had been going up and down the track and my own road looking for the young boy so I was aware there was something going on all day.
“There was an almighty bang and I raced out to see what it was. Right opposite our house I saw the fire engine down the bank and then saw all the people running to help.
“It was just the driver inside and the others reached him and took him out on a stretcher. There was a guy walking along who said the fire engine had just left the road and then rolled down the bank-it was a total mess.
“One side of the cab is totally crushed and the windscreen has been smashed in. Luckily it stopped on the grass and didn’t keep rolling into the river.”
A woman who walked past moments after the accident said, “It looked like they skidded on ice that road has been sheet ice for weeks. There was equipment scattered all over the place and the crew were working to get their man out the cab.
“There was another fire engine nearby and I think they got help from the men in that one. I went back later but the area had been cordoned off and they weren’t letting anyone near.”