Paramedics ready for any rescue situation
On Tuesday, 27 September Netcare 911 paramedics from KZN, their rescue officer and three rescue officers from Gauteng spent the day at 15 Squadron doing training.
They arrived at the air force base at 8am and after a short de-briefing, they started with firstly hoisting two people at a time using a strop system.
After that they had to secure a patient into a stokes basket and then hoist them with the medic up to the helicopter.
Read what the ‘patient’ has to say, on Southlands Sun:
On a high after aerial rescue training
As the day progressed, they flew to the Shongweni area where they hoisted people up and down at the waterfall next to the N3.
With a very skilled pilot and engineer, they trained the paramedical staff to get out of the helicopter while it is hovering at a steep slope.
The pilot had placed one sked on the side of the steep slope and once the engineer determined that it was safe, the medics were allowed to exit the helicopter.
“It is a great relief to know that we have such a skilled team that can be deployed day or night to rescue people from otherwise inaccessible areas or from ships far out to sea.”
Once out onto the side of the mountain, they had to huddle in a group securing each other to allow the helicopter to take off.
The training lasted until 2pm and then the pilot flew to the Umhlanga hospital where he demonstrated his skill in a simulation of bringing in a patient from the mountains.
“We then flew back to the air force base where a thorough de-briefing was held,” said Netcare 911 media liaison officer, Chris Botha.
“It is a great relief to know that we have such a skilled team that can be deployed day or night to rescue people from otherwise inaccessible areas or from ships far out to sea.”
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