A dramatic video of a stranded driver getting rescued from the throes of an intense flood has warmed the internet.
The video, which many are now likening to a scene straight from a Hollywood movie, shows a truck driver being pulled out of a truck that had already been swept away by heavy floods in Galana Kulalu after six hours.
As shared on the official Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Twitter account, the tanker was driving across the Galana-Kulalu causeway when the river suddenly flooded and surrounded it.
“This isn’t a scene from a movie – it’s a genuine rescue that took place today by two SWT pilots. A tanker crossing from Galana to Kulalu was pushed off the causeway by raging floods & flipped on its side, the driver stranded in rising waters,” the Trust tweeted.
In a continuing statement, they added that the panic-stricken driver was stuck in the tanker from 10:00 am and it was not until 4:00 pm that the manager raised an alarm – prompting a rescue mission.
“It was 4:30 pm on the afternoon of 3rd May 2023 when our Galana Operations Manager raised the alarm: A tanker had been driving across the Galana-Kulalu causeway when the river suddenly flooded and surrounded it,” part of the statement read.
“Surrounded by floodwaters, the driver was trapped inside the vehicle. The crisis intensified when the water pushed the tanker on its side, smashing the windscreen and engulfing the cabin. The man clung to the top, but it was only a matter of time before the river engulfed the entire vehicle. Onlookers watched helplessly from the shore, horrified but unable to intervene, as the current made any sort of crossing impossible.”
For over six hours, the hapless driver remained trapped inside the petroleum tanker as the waters steadily rose with no help in sight.
This isn’t a scene from a movie – it’s a genuine rescue that took place today by two SWT pilots. A tanker crossing from Galana to Kulalu was pushed off the causeway by raging floods & flipped on its side, the driver stranded in rising waters. Read more: https://t.co/Z8v1Jz9R5i pic.twitter.com/dcGG3ovtdz
— Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (@SheldrickTrust) May 3, 2023
“The moment we received the call, our Aerial Unit sprung into action. Taru Carr-Hartley flew the SWT helicopter to the scene, accompanied by Roan Carr-Hartley. They could immediately spot the breached truck, dwarfed by the angry river. As they flew closer, they were relieved to see the driver, still hanging on,” Sheldrick Wildlife Trust wrote.
“Slowly, steadily, Taru inched the helicopter down towards the truck, hovering an astonishing six inches above. Meanwhile, Roan strapped into a harness that was attached to theThe four-year-old boy went missing in Asa village, which borders Tsavo East National Park, on November 28, 2022, and was rescued on Sunday, December 4, six days after his initial disappearance aircraft. In one smooth motion, he stepped onto the tanker, grabbed the driver’s hand, and helped him onboard.”
Last December, a four-year-old boy who went missing in Asa village, which borders Tsavo East National Park, was rescued by the same team (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust) six days after his initial disappearance.
According to Pilot Roan Carr-Hartley, he got a call from the area chief, requesting him to help in the search for a young boy who went missing while herding the cattle with his brother.
