A German tourist whose motor home plunged into a Highland river – drowning her pet dog – now plans to move to Scotland because of the kindness she was shown.
Zoo keeper Carla Greszies, 53, from Reddinghausen, had walked just a few feet from her vehicle in Glen Etive at the weekend to take a picture when it it rolled away backwards, falling 20 feet into a storm-swollen River Etive.
Carla rushed back in back in an attempt to grab the van where she had left her dog, Holly, but was unable to stop it.
With no signal on her phone to call for help, she flagged down a passing car and asked them to drive back to the main road from where they would be able to contact the emergency services.
She said: “A young couple stopped to help and wanted to stay with me as I was very upset, but I told them instead to find a signal and call for help”.
Within 15 minutes, Glencoe Mountain Rescue team were on site, followed by the Coastguard, who braved the torrent to search for the dog, but were unable to get inside the submerged vehicle due to the force of the water. However they did manage to recover Carla’s hand bag which had floated out with her passport still inside.
The vehicle could not be recovered until the next day when the body of her dog was found, still inside. Most of her possessions were located but her clothes were soaked and her electronic devices destroyed.
Carla is a regular visitor to Scotland and has dreamed of moving here, an ambition now bolstered by the way complete strangers rallied round to help her cope with the accident.
She said: “I love coming to Scotland, have visited five times in the past two years and I really want to move here. Everyone has been so good to me, from stopping at the accident to comfort me, giving me somewhere to stay, providing clothes, toiletries and even large cases to help me return to Germany with what belongings I still have.
“I am so devastated by the loss of Holly and would like especially to thank Mr Stevenson, who owns the Recovery Company and came immediately to help me find her. Unfortunately he could not get my van out until the next day, but when he did, his priority was finding Holly and to bring her out to me. He was so kind and asked if I would like to bury her on ground at his home in Spean Bridge where his own dogs lie. We did this and I was able to say a tearful goodbye.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone. With such caring from so many people now I know I definitely want to live in Scotland.”
