January 24, 2018
Scotland

Daughter of tragic Ayrshire windfarm worker reveals he was trapped in snow ‘for hours’

By Gordon Tait, Chief Reporter | The Scottish Sun | 24th January 2018 | www.thescottishsun.co.uk

The daughter of a security guard who died when a blizzard engulf­ed a windfarm told how he was trapped in snow for “hours and hours”.

Tracy Fraser, 48, said “fit and healthy” dad Ronnie Alexander, 74, lay frozen in a drift after the whiteout.

Rescue teams plucked him free from the Afton turbine complex near New Cumnock, Ayrshire – almost five hours after the alarm was raised.

He was airlifted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but passed away from severe hypothermia.

Last night shattered Tracy, from Kilmarnock, said: “It’s very raw just now, we can’t get over it. It’s just so tragic.

“Hours and hours and hours he’s been lying in the snow.”

She added: “He was such a lovely helpful, fit and healthy man.

“He was 74 and still working.

“Everyone has been amazing, the police and the hospital.”

We told how grandad Ronnie and a colleague, 42 – who has not been identified – were guarding the remote complex on Sunday, the coldest day of the winter.

The CSM Facilities workers are understood to have lost heating and light during a power cut in the snow storm.

Cops were alerted to the pensioner’s sub-zero ordeal at 8.50pm but he lay stra­nded until 1.30am on Monday.

Ronnie was married to Mary, 77, and had daughters, Tracy and Laura, 45. He had worked with CSM for 11 months.

Cops and the Health and Safety Executive have launched a probe into the tragedy.

A spokesman for CSM said they were “co-operating fully” with the investigation.

He added: “Our thoughts are with his wife and family at this sad time.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/01/24/daughter-of-tragic-ayrshire-windfarm-worker-reveals-he-was-trapped-in-snow-for-hours/