In a dramatic rescue caught on video, a truck driver trapped by floodwaters in the Galana River in southern Kenya was saved by a helicopter after being stranded for six hours. The footage was released on May 7th (local time).
According to Fox Weather and the Daily Mail, the driver was crossing a dam road in the Galana National Park in Kenya when his oil tanker was suddenly trapped by rising floodwaters. The Selous Wildlife Foundation, which responded to the scene, reported that heavy rain upstream caused flash flooding that swept over the dam road.
As the truck overturned, the driver was trapped inside but managed to escape through a window. However, onlookers watching from the riverbank were unable to rescue him due to the strong current. With the water level continuing to rise, more than six hours passed before help arrived.
Desperately seeking rescue, the Selous Wildlife Foundation was contacted and immediately dispatched a rescue helicopter, which was normally used to protect elephants and rhinoceroses.
The video footage shows the rescue helicopter flying low over the raging water while attempting to rescue the stranded driver. The truck, which was trapped in the middle of the rushing river, had flipped over, and the driver’s situation was extremely dangerous as he could be swept away at any moment.
The rescue team managed to get the helicopter as close to the overturned truck as possible while the driver grabbed onto the rescuer’s hand, who helped him climb aboard the helicopter. Once the driver was safely on board, the helicopter flew him to the national park’s base camp, where he was transferred to another rescue team waiting on the riverbank.
Later reports said that the oil tanker had sunk completely underwater. In recent days, heavy rains have caused significant damage and loss of life in various parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. In western and northern Rwanda, floods killed 109 people, according to the state broadcaster on May 3rd.
