Hero brothers pluck lorry driver from overturned truck in crocodile-infested river

These heroic brothers dramatically saved the life of a terrified truck driver who clung to the cab of his stricken gas tanker in a raging, crocodile-infested river for more than six hours.

Brave helicopter pilot Taru Carr-Hartley, 22, and brother and crew member Roan, 20, both conservation aviators, pulled off this amazing rescue worthy of Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise.

The truck driver was crossing a causeway over the Galana River in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park when he was suddenly hit by flash flooding after heavy rains 30 miles upstream.

The driver’s fully loaded tanker truck was washed off the crosswalk and, to the driver’s horror, it then rolled onto its side, trapping it in the cab with no chance of being reached.

He managed to open the cabin window and climb out at 10am and rescuers on the riverbank hoped the flooding would subside so they could reach the driver, but the water level continued to rise.

Six and a half hours later, when all seemed lost, a desperate appeal was made to the world-renowned Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, asking if they had a helicopter available for a final rescue attempt.

The wildlife park’s aerial unit, which normally uses helicopters to protect and rescue elephants and rhinoceroses, was immediately dispatched with the Trust owners, two ranger sons Taru and Roan.

A spokesman for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said: ‘On reaching the causeway of the River Galana the boys could immediately see the breached lorry completely overshadowed by a very angry river.

“As they flew closer, they were relieved to see that the driver was still holding on, but the water had pushed the tanker on its side, shattering the windshield and flooding the cabin, and time was running out.

“It was only a matter of time before the river completely engulfed the entire vehicle and onlookers watched helplessly from shore, shocked but unable to help because of the swirling current.

“It was impossible to get to them from the bank and Taru and Roan were the drivers’ only chance and Taru slowly guided the chopper to within six inches of the truck.

“Roan put on his harness, got out and onto the truck, grabbed the driver’s hand, led him into the helicopter, then got back in himself – a book saver!

“It was a high-stakes rescue mission that ended with the best possible outcome,” the Trust said.

The overjoyed trucker was deposited on higher ground where rescuers waited on land and the hero brothers took off again and returned to their base in the national park.

A short time later, it was reported that the petrol tanker had swept further downstream into deeper water, which would have almost certainly killed the stranded driver.

It wasn’t the first time Roan had been hailed as a hero, as in December 2022, a 4-year-old goatherd lost contact with his brother and disappeared into the remote African wilderness.

Fixed-wing Roan joined 70 local villagers to search for him in the national park, but the boys’ tracks were washed away by the rain and trackers had to find them again.

Six days later they picked up the missing boy’s tracks eleven miles from the village, deep in the hyenas’ territory, and again Roan set off and a few hours later saw the boy.

He used his plane to lead the villagers to the starving boy who had survived six days and nights in the wild infested with predators and suffered only a large number of painful mosquito bites.

The villagers named the boy Roan after his rescuer and presented the pilot with a goat.

Established in 1977 by conservationist Dame Daphne Sheldrick in memory of husband David, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust covers over 2 million acres of Kenyan wilderness.

It is the world’s most successful rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration project for orphaned elephants and rhinoceroses and is now run by Daphne’s CEO daughter Angela.

She married Robert Carr-Hartley and they both run the SWT, ably aided by their two daredevil and dashing sons Taru and Roan, both of whom are experienced fixed-wing and helicopter pilots.

They are also hands-on rangers who work in the bush to conserve and save the wildlife and land.

A friend of the family said: ‘They were real Mowglis from the moment they were born and despite their youth they don’t know much about African wildlife.

“They are as much at home in the air as they are in the bush doing what they can for the Kenyan animals and this amazing helicopter rescue is something they will just accept.

“Just another day’s work in a really nice office for that couple,” she said.

One person commented on the You Tube video: ‘Flying unbelievably and to get so close to the tanker in those flying conditions was just remarkable – both very brave’.

Another said: “Absolutely amazing. God bless you all. The men piloting the helicopter must have nerves of steel. Well done guys and thank you very much. It was the truckers’ lucky day.

Trust founder Daphne Sheldrick, born in Kenya but of British roots, was made an MBE by the Queen in 1989 and Dame in 2006 for her lifetime of tireless conservation work.

Her daughter Angela – the mother of Taru and Roan – took over as CEO of the Trust in 2001 and sadly her mother Daphne passed away in 2018 at the ripe old age of 83.

Taru and Roan’s father, Robert Carr-Hartley, in addition to running the Trust along with his wife, is a top helicopter pilot and award-winning photographer who has served as a consultant on blockbusting films Out of Africa and Lion King.