Rugby star washed out after river crossing attempt
Published 12 Apr 2010 12:18
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The car submerged at the Cuddy Bridge.
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A PEEBLES rugby player was left with more than a flooded engine this week.
Ryan McConnell attempted to drive his silver Mistubushi Warrior through the Cuddy stream on Monday night, but melting snow had caused the stream to flood.
The front row forward and his passenger were swept 20 metres downstream, only stopping when the 4-by-4 got wedged under a bridge.
Apprentice joiner Ryan, 21, and his friend were able to scramble onto the roof of the vehicle and onto the bridge before police officers and members of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team arrived.
The car was left jammed under the Cuddy Bridge until Wednesday morning, and proved something of a tourist attraction as crowds flocked to see the spectacle.
And despite an early morning rescue mission by Ryan's boss Graeme Forrest in an attempt to retrieve the car without any fuss, word had obviously spread as around 30 people gathered to watch the drama unfold.
Graeme, of A and F Joinery, told the Peeblesshire News: "It's probably the strangest job I've ever had to do. We were originally going to do it on Tuesday evening, but there was too many people about, so we decided to do it the next day. We went down just after 7am, but there was still about 30 people standing watching.
"The hardest bit was attaching the chain as it was under the water, but once we'd done that it was easy enough to pull out. I think it's safe to say it will be a long time before Ryan lives this one down at work."
Ryan may face more than repair costs as Scottish Borders Council hope to recoup any damage to the metal bridge.
A spokeswoman said: "We will seek any costs involved from the driver's insurance company."
But some locals are hoping the lucky escape will pocket them some cash.
A local entrepreneur has immortalised the now infamous picture of the car on a range of t-shirts. Robin Brown from Peebles is selling the t-shirts online for £15 each, and hopes the national interest in the story may generate some sales.
This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 09 Apr 10
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