It was Wednesday morning that the fire brigade received a report of a car that had driven off the road at the popular lookout post Stegastein in Aurland. The car was on the edge and tilted, and was in danger of rolling down the steep mountainside. – It was very dramatic for those involved, says fire chief in Aurland, Reinhardt Sørensen. More people had to help The road up to Stegastein is narrow and winding, and very popular with tourists during the summer months. After the accident, there was a traffic jam, which meant that the fire brigade spent time getting to the accident site. – We had to direct the traffic away, and get a tractor to help. It took another hour before we were in place. In the meantime, it was pure muscle power that saved the car from falling down. – There were 6-7 people who held the car, and had straps fastened to a tree. Had it not been for their efforts, the car would probably have tipped over, says Sørensen. Popular tourist route The owners of the car were two German tourists. They got out and no one was injured in the incident. The car also came unscathed from the incident, after an hour and a half of rescue work. Sørensen explains that such descents are more common on the way up to Stegastein in July. – Diverre it happens quite often. It is narrow and tourists are not used to driving on such roads. Sørensen reminds everyone to drive carefully and to stay well inside the road when driving on old roads. Stegastein on Aurlandsfjellet is a popular tourist attraction. The road up there is narrow with many turns. Photo: Jarle Wæhler / The Norwegian Public Roads Administration
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