Pilot Steve Clarke said he was passing over the coastal township of Kakanui, returning to Dunedin from Oamaru Hospital, when about four or five "strikes" from a green laser lit up his cockpit.
"It blinds you," he said.
"You lose all vision.
"As soon as it strikes, inside the cockpit it’s just this massive green glow. You cannot see anything.
"It is so, so dangerous.
"You could crash the machine — so you’re dead — that’s how dangerous it is."
This was about the 10th time his helicopter had been targeted in his eight years flying Otago-Southland regional rescue missions.
At night there was only one reason for a helicopter to be flying. They were typically carrying critically ill or injured people to hospital, Mr Clarke said.
There were four people aboard the helicopter at the time it was targeted yesterday.
Mr Clarke was able to pinpoint where the beam came from — a parked car in a reserve — and he contacted police.
He continued on to Dunedin Hospital and arrived with the patient at 3.55am.
Helicopters Otago chief executive Graeme Gale said the incident was the second time in a week one of his pilots was hit with a laser.
The rescue service was adopting a "zero tolerance" approach and would now go out of its way to find those responsible and would not hold back when it came to prosecution.
Mr Gale said he was sick and tired of the extremely dangerous behaviour.
"This could be catastrophic.
"I’m really serious about keeping the welfare and the safety of our pilots and our crew, our medics and our patients, safe.
"And I will not tolerate any of these clowns who are out thinking it’s good fun to strike a helicopter in the middle of the night with a laser — and to do it multiple times.
"I am deadly serious about this. This is a deadly game these guys are playing.
"It is vitally important that we nail these clowns down."
He called on people to report others using lasers to police.
A police spokesman confirmed police received a report of a laser being pointed at an aircraft flying over Kakanui about 3.40am.
Police responded immediately and carried out an extensive area search, but the offender was unable to be located, he said.
