The driver of a fuel tanker was on Wednesday rescued from raging floods in Kenya’s coastal county, Tana River, some 420 kilometres southeast of the capital Nairobi.
A video shared by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on Facebook shows the male driver holding onto the vehicle’s cabin as it was being swept away by floodwaters on the Galana-Kulalu causeway.
East Africa is experiencing heavy rains with Kenya among countries bearing the brunt of the downpour. Floods in Rwanda claimed the lives of at least 130 people.
The driver was driving past the causeway when heavy rains began at 10am.
The vehicle was marooned by floods, forcing the driver to climb out as it was steadily being swept away.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said the man was trapped for more than six hours, until rescue efforts were made at 4:30pm East Africa Time.
Upon learning of the incident, Sheldrick foundation’s operation manager alerted the aerial unit that deployed a helicopter to the scene.
After sighting the trapped driver, the pilot, Taru Carr-Hartley, “inched the helicopter down towards the truck, hovering an astonishing six inches above him”.
Roan Carr-Hartley, who had accompanied Taru on the mission, stretched his arm out and rescued the driver who was visibly relieved.
“Roan stepped onto the tanker, grabbed the driver’s hand and helped him onboard,” said the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
The foundation described the rescue mission as one “that ended with the best possible outcome”.
A video capturing the incident received many positive reviews on Facebook.
