Family Stranded In Scotland Rescued By Hogwarts Express

When a family of six woke up on vacation on a Scottish lake to find that their canoe had been swept away a stream, it could have been a disaster. Jon Cluett, his wife, Helen, and their four children were staying at lakeside cottage of the south shore of Loch Eilt in Scotland’s West Highlands, when they realized their canoe was gone.

Because the family was staying in a remote area and would have to transverse boggy land to get back to their car, they needed serious help.

“In the end I decided the only option was to phone the police and mountain rescue, ask if they have any local knowledge that could help us out,” Jon Cluett told the Huffington Post.

What happened next was pretty extraordinary. The arranged for a train to rescue the family. However, this wasn’t just an everyday train. They sent the Jacobite steam train, which was used as the Hogwarts Express in the “Harry Potter” movies.

The Cluett kids, who are aged 6, 10, 8 and 12, love the “Harry Potter” franchise, according to their dad. So, naturally, they were delighted to be rescued by the Hogwarts Express.

After boarding the train, the family was dropped off at the next stop. From there, Cluett was able to catch a ride to retrieve his car.

While he’s glad that his kids got the surprise of a lifetime, he does still hope he may get his canoe back. “I think it will still be bobbing around in the loch somewhere. A big red canoe — so if you see it, that would be helpful. That would make the last part of the story even better,” he said.