Air Force And Coast Guard Can't Land On Their Own Beaches

Rescue helicopters are banned from landing at fishing harbors along South Africa's southern coast... and if they try it, the pilots will be arrested and their aircraft confiscated.

The South African Department of Environment's Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) banned the rescue helicopters and for months, the South African equivalent of the Coast Guard, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has been trying to find out why. NSRI officials have described the ban as "crazy" They say it would have "dire consequences" for sea rescue operations. The Department of Transport's Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center has also condemned the ban.

Brad Geyser is the NSRI station commander at Hout Bay. He said he had tried find out why the new rule had been made, but the MCM official, Dennis Marinus, has simply ignored all questions. "This is crazy. What happens when there is an emergency at sea and a helicopter needs to land at Hout Bay?" Geyser said to the Cape Times of Capetown, the nearest large city.

"It's obvious that this kind of training is crucial. How can we go out to rescue people at sea, which could involve airlifting them to safety, without proper training?" Geyser continued.

During one of his training sessions with the South African Air Force (SAAF), Geyser said "the official [from MCM] was shouting over the phone that if we didn't leave now he would arrest the SAAF pilots and confiscate their helicopters," Geyser said.

The MCM has remained silent about its reasoning for the helicopter ban, other than to reiterate that no choppers are allowed.

The South African Air Force -- which besides helicopters, also has guns and missiles --  has so far steered clear of the controversy between the two agencies.

FMI: South Africa MCM, National Sea Rescue Institute