PRESS RELEASE

8th March 2015

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WORKING ON FIRE HELICOPTER PILOT KILLED

It is with great sadness that we must announce that one of the Working on
Fire helicopters which has been active in the Cape Town fires, has made a
forced landing and that the pilot of the helicopter, Mr Hendrik Willem Marais,
was killed in the accident.
The helicopter was part of a team of two helicopters and a spotter plane on
their way to fight a fire in the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
I wish to express the Governments and my personal condolences to the
pilots wife, Mrs Jackie Marais, family, friends and his colleagues in the
Working on Fire programme.
We have all become starkly aware of the tremendous dedication and skills
these pilots display in the fires that ravaged the Cape Peninsula over the past
week. Were it not for their and their fire-fighter counterparts on the ground,
Cape Town would have experienced far greater damage and losses of
property, and risks to lives.
Mr Marais was one of the pilots lauded for the exceptional work over the past
week, when over 2,000 drops were made (each of about 1,100 litres) on the
fire that started near Muizenberg, and spread to Noordhoek, Hout Bay, Tokai
and Constantia.
The cause of the accident is being investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority,
and further details will be made known, once available.
As a nation, we salute the bravery and service of these dedicated fire-fighters,
and mourn the loss of Mr Marais in the course of duty.

Ms Edna Molewa, M.P.

Minister of Environment Affairs

Contact person:
Mr Zolile Nqayi
082-898-6483