On Thursday, May 4, 2023, two Sheldrick Wildlife Trust pilots rescued a trucker whose truck had been wrecked by flooding along the Galana Kulalu Causeway between Kilifi and Tana River counties.
The two pilots, brothers Taru Carr-Hartley and Roan Carr-Hartley, flew above the rushing waters to where the truck driver got stuck amid the flood and rescued him, according to a now-viral online update by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
The driver was stuck inside the vehicle, which was surrounded by floodwaters. The crisis escalated as the water pushed the tanker onto its side, breaking the windscreen and engulfing the cabin.
The man hung to the roof, but it was just a matter of seconds before the river swallowed the whole vehicle.
Onlookers stood immobile on the beach, shocked yet powerless to interfere because the current rendered any crossing impossible.
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The SWT Aerial Unit was activated.
Taru Carr-Hartley and Roan Carr-Hartley flew the SWT chopper to the location. They immediately noticed the shattered truck, dwarfed by the surging river.
They were delighted to see the driver still holding on as they approached.
The whirling seas and heavy gusts made for hazardous flying conditions. Below, amid the raging river and a ship loaded with petroleum, danger awaited.
Taru inched the chopper closer to the truck, hovering six centimetres over it.
Meanwhile, Roan hooked himself into the aircraft's harness. According to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, he went onto the truck, grabbed the driver's hand, and assisted him on board.
Dwayne 'The Rock Johnson, a Hollywood movie star, later commended the Hartley brothers for their bravery and extended them his love.
"Hey, this email is for two special individuals, very skilled and special pilots," the Black Adam star remarked. Hartley, Roan, and Taru Carr. Dwayne Johnson, nicknamed The Rock, here. I'd like to express how amazed, moved, and inspired I was by your bravery and heroism.
When you guys saved that man whose truck had flipped - and I've had the great joy and pleasure of playing a pilot for a helicopter in situations like that - you guys are the genuine deal.
I realize how difficult that is based on my expertise and study, and that impacted me. "I was so impressed, and I just wanted to give you guys so much love," The Rock said in a video greeting to the brothers.
