'Chopper pieces floated all over'
Date: 13 May 2009
"I saw its nose go into the water first and then I saw the tail, which was still in flames, go in after. Then there were just pieces of the chopper floating all over."
This was how Quin Mlangeni, a resident of the village on the bank of Woodstock Dam near Bergville, described an accident where a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) helicopter crashed on Tuesday morning.
Mlangeni was fishing at the dam when he saw three helicopters approaching him from a northward direction. Only minutes later, the helicopter at the back of the pack dropped, landing just a few hundred metres away from him.
"It made a wave about two metres high," he said.
"The first thing I could think of to do was to go on my knees and grab my fishing line out of the water."
Rescue attempt in vain
Beeld reported that a crew member from another air force helicopter jumped into the icy water in a fruitless attempt to save the lives of his three colleagues.
According to police spokesperson Captain Charmaine Struwig, the man was unable to do much as the water was ice cold and he wasn't properly equipped to dive in deep water.
He was later taken to hospital.
According to the police, the crash occurred during a training flight at around 11:30.
The Agusta A109 helicopter was occupied by three people and was en route to Dragon's Peak, flying past the upper Tugela River.
Five hours after the incident, all that police and SANDF divers had recovered from the 40 metre-deep dam was a flask, two helmets, a pair of boots (one of which was shredded), a flip-flop and a door of the Agusta A109 helicopter.
Although the divers and helicopter search teams searched tirelessly for the bodies of the occupants - who were suspected to have drowned - none were found.
Two members of the SANDF were holding one of the recovered boots against a dent in the recovered door. When asked if they thought that one of the occupants might have caused the dent during the crash, they declined comment.
The newly appointed Minister of Defence, Lindiwe Sisulu, expressed regret about the deaths of the three members of the South African Air Force.
Investigation
Ministry spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said although it is known that the helicopter was on its way to the Dragon's Peak Park, it was not clear where the aircraft was coming from.
"We are still gathering information," said Mkhwanazi.
"The ministry has made a decision not to release the names, ages and ranks at this stage. It will be released once their next of kin have been informed. He added that a board of inquiry has been convened to investigate the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, Zwangaye Sithole, disaster manager of the Uthukela District Municipality, assured The Witness that emergency services will not rest until the bodies are recovered.
"We have divers from Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg here," he said.
Source: The Witness
