A family whose campervan was destroyed by “unusual gusts” during a storm in the Scottish Highlands are said to be very lucky to be alive.
A family of four and their two dogs were in a rental car parked in a parking lot off North Coast Highway 500 in Scotland when strong winds caused the vehicle to overturn, plummeting down a hill and headlong into a lake. .
Police and emergency services were called to the scene on the A896 near Shieldaig in Wester Ross, where it was discovered that the entire family and their two dogs had survived the accident with only minor injuries.
“It’s a miracle no one was seriously injured,” owner Peter Schmidt said. Luna camper rental, loaned a £70,000 car to a family over the Easter holidays. “I can’t believe it.”
Immediately after the accident, a family member called me and explained that the car had been scrapped. “They had no idea how many times the van had rolled or if it had rolled in the first place, but when it came to a halt they all got out and noticed the van starting to fall apart around them. ”
They said everything was scattered everywhere during the accident, including the roof, and they saw the roof “flying around” in one piece. “It sounded pretty scary,” he said.
“The children were resting in bed. The fridge in the camper is very heavy and has a lot of sharp edges. We also have knives, we have a cutlery set, we also have gas cylinders… I don’t know what happened. When you think about it, all the equipment that’s there, it’s a complete miracle. They’re very, very lucky.”
Photos show the devastation that occurred. “As my friends in the industry said, it appears there was an explosion. But the gas cylinder was unharmed.”
He said the two children and the dog were “mostly unharmed”, but the adult passenger suffered only bruises.
After making sure his family was safe and seeing a doctor, Schmidt asked for a photo of the van and its location so he could arrange collection.
“Of course, my heart sank. But more importantly, no one was hurt other than a few bruises. And no matter what happens to my client, Even if a gust of wind blows me away, I still feel some responsibility to my customers.”
He has been renting motorhomes for six years and said the accident that occurred during Storm Kathleen last Sunday was “extremely bizarre”.
“The worst thing I ever saw was when someone drove under a bridge and took the roof off. It was a very, very, very strange incident.”
Last weekend, the storm caused widespread travel and power outages in Ireland and the UK, with peak wind gusts of 40-60mph (65-95km/h) recorded across large areas of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the west of England and Wales. It was done.
Around 180 people were rescued from a holiday park in West Sussex, while a beach hut in Cornwall was swept out to sea by strong winds.
Mr Schmidt will now provide customers with more safety briefings on driving in difficult weather conditions, particularly on the North Coast 500 route, a popular 500-mile circular route around Scotland’s beautiful north coast. It’s planned.
“The roads are narrow and narrow, making it difficult to maneuver a car that is not used to driving. If there is a strong wind, you should think about where and how to park the car, just in case. Because… Because you never know,” he said.
Fortunately, the campervan was insured, so the family decided to stay in Scotland and spend the rest of their holiday in true British fashion, before renting a car and making the long drive back to England. He said it was done.
“They chose not to buy another camper,” Schmidt said.
