SALUTE TO THE HEROES
Battling the winter Beast
As the Beast from the East wreaked havoc across East Kilbride and Avondale, an army of snow heroes went the extra mile to help people in our communities.
Hunter Health district nurse Louise Lawrie got a lift in farmer Grant Neilson’s tractor to reach an elderly patient trapped in her rural home.
And Good Samaritan Tony Ash embarked on a 14-hour rescue dash in his 4x4 with girlfriend Feonaidh Gemmell to help stranded NHS staff get to work and rescue families.
Health board, council and emergency services employees worked roundthe-clock to keep vital services running.
The News salutes our community heroes.
A local hero showed true grit by battling the Beast from the East head-on to rescue dozens of people stranded in the snow.
Tony Ash from Lindsayfield powered his way through the worst of the Siberian storm in his 4x4 Land Rover Defender for an incredible 14 hours helping NHS staff get to work and freezing folk make it home safely.
The snow hero took to social media to offer his services ahead of the red weather alert — and within minutes his post went viral across the central belt.
The 28-year-old office furniture fitter and off-road enthusiast told the News: “Because of the weather, I was at home with nothing to do but play my Xbox and drink tea, so I thought I’d put up a post offering help to any medical staff or emergency services.
“After just a few shares, my phone went mental.
“I left my house at 11.30am and got home at 1.30am on Friday. The post has been shared 3300 times.”
Tony and girlfriend Feonaidh Gemmell, who was navigating, drove across Lanarkshire, Glasgow and beyond to Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire to answer SOS calls from members of the public needing a lift.
“I picked up a nurse in Cathkin who couldn’t get her car out for a nightshift at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow,” he said.
“I helped a friend whose 4x4 got stuck taking a carer to work on a back road to Cumbernauld, assisted the police in moving a car blocking a road in Coatbridge and picked up a family who were struggling to walk home from Partick to Yoker with their 18-month old daughter.
“I wasn’t really worried about getting stuck myself as I have a winch on the front of my car, so it was equipped and ready for anything.”
Modest Tony insists he just wanted to do his bit — and says the healthcare staff who braved the elements to get to work and help patients deserve all the credit.
He added: “A couple of nurses asked if I felt good for doing it, but I was just happy to help. They are always there for us when we need them so this was my turn to be there for them.
“It was amazing to see all the doctors and nurses making it to work in such terrible conditions. They are the unsung heroes, not me.”