A mother and daughter have shared their experience of narrowly escaping a landslide that swept away their car while travelling on the A83 in Argyll. Fiona and Kiera Smith had been on their way to Ayr for a birthday celebration when their vehicle became stuck on rubble near the Rest and Be Thankful. A police officer who had arrived to assist told them to exit the car and run before tonnes of mud and debris came down the hillside, nearly hitting Kiera with rocks. The pair watched their car being washed off the road a short time later.
Kiera, who feels lucky to be alive, has shared that she thought their car was on fire when the policeman approached them. She noted: “Adrenaline definitely kicked in once I heard that landslide, it was probably the fastest I’ve ran in god knows how long. I’d ran past five cars by the time the landslide hit ours. Even whilst running a rock shot past my feet and head so even then we were still close to it all.”
Although the Smiths lost their belongings and money for the birthday treat, they are happy to be alive and able to tell their story. Kiera shared that she and her mother will be more vigilant on that road, and her family is grateful that they survived. The section at the Rest and be Thankful, which passes through Glen Croe, is frequently closed by falling rocks and debris and was recently blocked due to landslips caused by heavy rainfall.
Despite contractors clearing the debris, it remains unknown when the road will reopen. A total of ten people had to be airlifted from their cars following the landslips. The Smiths are urging people to be cautious and take the instructions of first responders and other authorities seriously to prevent injury or loss of life
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