Cyclone Tam: Auckland man saves crane truck driver from 10-metre drop during heroic rescue

• An Auckland man undertook a dramatic rescue of a crane truck driver stranded on the edge of a 10-metre gully.
• He used his 35-year-old 4x4 to pull the truck from danger.
• The rescued driver had been helping repair power lines during Cyclone Tam.

A heroic Auckland man used his 35-year-old SUV to pull a crane truck - with the driver still inside - out of a steep gully during Cyclone Tam.

West Auckland resident Mike Mitchell told the Herald this morning he’d been driving around yesterday looking for downed powerlines or fallen trees.

“I found one tree, cut that up and took it off the road. I found a downed power line and reported that to Vector,” Mitchell said.

Earlier in the day, he spotted a truck replacing a downed power pole on his street in the Waitākere Ranges.

When he returned several hours later, the truck was sliding down an estimated 10-metre bank.

“I offered my assistance, which I had done with so many other things in my life,” Mitchell said.

Mike Mitchell used his SUV to rescue a crane truck driver slipping down a 10m gully in West Auckland.

He offered to use his 1989 Nissan Terrano SUV to winch the 18-tonne vehicle.

“I attached my shackle to the truck and managed to pull it out of the ditch.

“It was an amazing experience. One lady was crying, and others were cheering and high-fiving.”

West Auckland man Mike Mitchell and his dog Odin. His rescue of a crane truck driver slipping down a gully during Cyclone Tam yesterday was one of the riskiest he'd done, Mitchell told the Herald.

The driver of the other vehicle was still inside, and Mitchell feared that if the rescue had been unsuccessful, he would have been dragged down the bank.

“I always assess the situation at hand before going into it. It was definitely one of the riskiest I’ve done.

“I felt a sense of pride in being able to help people.”

Mitchell had his dog Odin in the front seat of his during the whole ordeal.

“He was fine. He was just watching it all unfold as he always does.”

Mike Mitchell and his dog Odin were on patrol looking for people to help during Cyclone Tam yesterday when they came across a crane truck driver slipping down a 10m gully in West Auckland.

Mitchell’s sister Claudia Pye described her brother as a “Kiwi bloke” who liked to help people during crises.

Despite her older brother placing himself in dangerous situations, she was very proud of him, Pye said.

“It warms my heart that my brother is like this. It makes me proud to hear these stories because there is always something with him.”

David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.