SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - A helicopter pilot from Mossel Bay responded to emergency calls for assistance to farmers near Beaufort-West who were cut off by heavy snow falls over the weekend. Many famers were unable to reach their farm workers and livestock which were stranded without food.
Kobus Crous of Mossel Bay Helicopter Services responded to an emergency call on Saturday from Mr Minnaar of the farm Matjiesvlei north of Beaufort West.
He requested urgent assistance as the farm was totally cut off. Minnaar reported at the time that snow was more than one meter deep in places and livestock was suffering from hunger as the snow meant that they could not eat their normal fodder.
He requested Mossel Bay helicopter Services to assist with emergency rations and the distribution of feed to his animals. Minnaar also reported that quite a number of farmers in his immediate vicinity experienced similar conditions and a desperate situation was developing.
At that stage flying conditions in the Mossel Bay area were extremely poor with very strong winds and poor visibility that made it impossible to fly directly to Beaufort West.
Crous advised the farmers to contact the Eden Disaster Management department for help, but as Beaufort West falls outside the Eden jurisdiction. Hein Rust of the Central Karoo Disaster Centre was contacted. He indicated that there was no budget available for emergency helicopter assistance, but that the unit would do whatever possible to assist and would let the farmers know by latest Sunday at 13:00 whether help would be forthcoming. By late Sunday the farmers were still left in the lurch and as the weather conditions prevailed, it remained too dangerous to travel to Beaufort West with the chopper.
On Monday, however, Crous decided to follow the flow of the Gouritz river and made his way very low over Calitzdorp to Beaufort West after securing fuel at Beaufort West airfield.
Their first priority was to see to the need of humans in hard to reach places and food parcels, wood and gas supplies were delivered.
Then they started planning to get food to the farm animals. First the chopper was used to locate the animals, then bales of lucerne were dropped for the animals. It was quickly established that the chopper could handle about ten bales of lucerne at any one drop.
By Monday afternoon a total of 100 bales of lucerne were distributed. On Monday afternoon by 18:00 the chopper landed back in Beaufort West. Minutes later an Oryx helicopter from Ysterplaat had landed to add to the local rescue effort.
By Tuesday the Airforce continued with assistance to humans while the Mossel Bay Helicopter Service continued with rescue efforts to animals in unreachable areas.
Crous adds that at some stage the animals were so hungry that they would come running when they caught scent of the Lucerne being distributed. Sadly, some animals did perish.
Crous also said it was particularly perilous to operate in the snow as it was almost impossible to determine a safe landing area.
By Wednesday the Mossel Bay Helicopter Service was still in Beaufort West to lend a hand where and when necessary and it was was understood that the Airforce helicopter had to return to base.
Mossel Bay Helicopters were quick to respond to the dire need of farmers and their animals trapped in the recent inclement weather in the Great Karoo.
- Oudtshoorn Courant
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