Talk about throwing yourself into your work! Angus Macleod helped design some of the safety features in his Land Rover Discovery that came in pretty handy after he plunged his off a 120 ft. cliff!
Talk about throwing yourself into your work! Angus Macleod helped design some of the safety features in his Land Rover Discovery that came in pretty handy after he plunged his off a 120 ft. cliff!
They're calling him Scotland's luckiest driver, but maybe he had some insider information that gave him more confidence than the rest of us. Still, I doubt he had planned on plunging 120 feet over a cliff last week, but on the way down I bet he was glad that - faced with the inevitable - he was in the sturdy safety cage of the Land Rover Discovery he helped design!
Witnesses said Angus Macleod, 60, was saved because he was driving a sturdy Land Rover, and because it landed in sand. In fact, he not only survived, he escaped with just a cut to his head, and was completely conscious when help arrived.
Angus was driving his Discovery on a winding one-lane road near his home in the far north of the Scottish Highlands when he lost control at a tight bend and went over the cliff. His Land Rover Discovery careened down the rugged slope to the beach below. But the tough 4x4 landed on its wheels on the sand, and the cabin stayed intact despite severe damage to the front end.
Tourists on the beach at the time watched in horror as the Land Rover crashed to earth.
Local community councillor Iris Mackay said "Angus was incredibly lucky - he's had a miracle escape."
Another local resident added: "The car looks as though it just left the road and went straight over the cliff. The fact he was in a Land Rover, and it stopped on the beach, probably saved his life."
Angus only retired last year and friends reckon he may have had a hand in creating some of the safety features that protected him during the cliff plunge.
A Durness resident said: "It's possible he was responsible for some of the designs in the Discovery. All the airbags in the car had gone off and that's another factor which could have prevented serious injury."
Kathy Parker, who runs a guesthouse nearby, said: "The road is not known for crashes but there is a bad bend on it and you can lose concentration if you look out to sea."
And if you're going to take in the view while driving the Scottish Highlands... make sure you're driving in one of Angus'-designed Land Rovers!
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