Video: Defender duo rescues a 20-tonne rig out of a sand trap

This curious footage shows two Land Rover Defender SUVs successfully pulling a 20-tonne (44,000+ lbs) semi-truck out of its sand prison in Namib Desert.

According to the story supplied by the author of the video, the driver has stayed hopelessly locked in the sand for three days with only limited food and water supply left. When all seemed lost, two LR Defenders just happened to pass by the same area of the vast desert, conveniently equipped with winches and carrying a professional video camera operator who then filmed the entire rescue process from a wide variety of angles. Go ahead and call it a fortunate coincidence, we dare you.

The description states that two Defender 110 participated in the operation, equipped to the D240 SE and P400 S specs, respectively. Both are manufacturer-rated for 3.5 tonnes (7,700 lbs) of max towing capacity, while the rig weighed nearly three times as much. Furthermore, the towing occurred on slippery, shifting sand surface and not on asphalt, which should have limited the towing efficiency even further. Still, by the look of it, the rescue was a breeze. Good for you, Land Rover!