The SANDF comes to the rescue ? yet again!
Date: 22 July 2002
The state of readiness of the South African National Defence Force, in this case the Air Force, was once again put to the test when it was called upon last weekend to help people in dire straits created by horror weather conditions at sea and inland.
Apart from the immediate problem of saving lives, the helicopter crews had to deal with additional challenges of the raging seas off the Eastern Cape Coast and heavy snowfalls of up to half a metre deep in some areas of the Eastern Cape where the towns of Elliot and Cala are still cut off from the national power grid.
Today the SAAF was tasked to fly to the assistance of people trapped by snow in the Drakensberg area. Once again the intrepid chopper crews stepped into the breach providing assistance to the civil authorities in the areas worst hammered by the weather.
An Oryx helicopter from 15 Squadron in Durban, was also called upon to airlift the captain and crew from 11 000 ton oil tanker, Nino, and ferry to hospital in East London. The captain of Nino, which ran aground in the rough seas, had a heart attack during the night and was fortunate to be rescued by yesterday morning.
The crew of another vessel, this time a mini bulk carrier, the Sagitaris, loaded with grain for famine victims in Angola, was also ferried to safety by the helicopter from 15 Squadron. All nine crewmembers airlifted from their leaking vessel in dangerous conditions on Thursday night and taken to East London.
The biting cold that has gripped much of South Africa over the past few days seems to have hit the northern parts of Eastern Cape the hardest. Emergency personnel backed up by the SANDF are spending most of their time taking emergency supplies to communities affected by the snowfall. Critical emergency needs are blankets, food and medicine. A group of about 130 people, trapped in their vehicles by the snow for more than a day, were also assisted by the Air Force.
The poor weather conditions tested the ability of our pilots but once again they were not found wanting and lived up to their well-earned reputation of being a much respected part of the pride of the nation that is the SA Air Force.
SANDF website
