Tractor wheel in Tsiseb tells tale of heroism

What at first appears to be an eerie mystery – a lone tractor wheel jutting from the muddy sands of the Tsiseb River bed near Brandberg – actually reveals a dramatic story of heroism.

The scene, located a few kilometres from the White Lady Lodge, marked the final resting place of a failed river crossing, where four staff members, stranded by sudden floodwaters, were rescued in March.

The events unfolded on Tuesday, 18 March, when Riana Scholtz and her companions were returning from a visit to the flowing Ugab River and decided to overnight at the lodge. What began as a peaceful evening around a campfire quickly turned into a night of unrelenting rain that persisted into the early hours.

"I remember waking up and thinking, ‘What if we’re stuck here?’ But I wasn’t too worried – White Lady had the blue tractor. No one was going to get stuck if that tractor was around," said Scholtz.

By morning, however, the situation had deteriorated. What had been a dry riverbed transformed overnight into a raging current, cutting off access routes to and from the lodge.

As guests and staff began assessing the situation, chaos erupted when a group of lodge workers attempted to cross the Tsiseb River – a known channel forming the lodge’s eastern boundary – using the tractor.

"I couldn’t believe what I saw," Scholtz recalled. "All I could see was the wheel of the overturned tractor sticking out of the river and four people – two men and two women – clinging to it for their lives."

Alarm raised

The driver had attempted to ferry staff across before the waters became too treacherous, but the tractor was swept up in the current and overturned. The occupants managed to climb onto the partially submerged vehicle and hold on to the exposed wheel.

That’s when Nico Scholtz, Riana’s husband, stepped in. Acting on instinct, he left the lodge to assess the rising river and stumbled upon the stranded group.

"No one else had realised what had happened. Nico was the first to find them," said Riana, adding that he immediately raised the alarm and launched what would become a tense and physically gruelling rescue operation.

Armed with only a rope, Nico initially attempted to throw it to the group. When that failed, he waded into the river, fastened the rope to the tractor, and attempted to escort the trapped individuals to safety.

"The water was terrifying – hip-deep in places and violently strong. Nico reached the first man, but he couldn’t move. He was paralysed by fear, cold and exhaustion. Nico had to drag him through the water," said Riana.

At one point, the rescue rope snapped and had to be repaired midstream. Nico was struck by rolling rocks, sustaining serious lacerations to both shins. Nevertheless, he succeeded in bringing the first man to safety.

“I could see he was in pain, but he was determined to go back for the others,” Riana said, noting that due to the worsening condition of his injuries, however, she intervened.

"Because of his bleeding wounds, I told him to come out of the water. We wrapped shirts around his legs to stop the bleeding. I told him not to go back in – it took some tough talk, but he listened,” she recalls.

The remaining rescues were completed by lodge staff once the river’s flow had slightly subsided.

In recovery

Nico’s injuries later became a serious medical concern. Fortunately, a nurse among the lodge guests and a doctor on the phone coordinated immediate care, and he began antibiotic treatment.

“The wounds were deep, right next to the bone," said Riana.

One month later, Nico is still undergoing treatment, with regular dressing changes and a slow-healing process due to the nature and location of the injuries.

“He’s a runner and an athlete, so it’s been hard for him. But we’re just grateful that he found them when he did. That everyone survived. And that we made it out the next morning to get him to the doctor in Swakopmund.”

The tractor wheel remains stuck in the sand – a reminder of an act of bravery.