By Rawaan Saadi
The ‘‘clown’’ who pointed a laser at a helicopter flying over Oamaru was arrested thanks to a quick-thinking pilot who tracked him from the air.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin said, Oamaru police were called by a Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust pilot in Oamaru after a man shone a high powered laser into the helicopter’s cockpit for four minutes at 10pm Monday.
The pilot was returning to base in Mosgiel after completing a hospital transfer in Christchurch when the cockpit was struck by the laser’s light.
Luckily, the laser did not blind the pilot and he was able to see were it was coming from.
‘‘Due to their quick thinking, the pilot was able to locate the offender and followed the suspect as he entered his car and drove away from his home address along the Thames Highway,’’ Snr Sgt Bond Said.
The 39-year-old man drove down the highway, but spotted the helicopter chasing after him, and pulled into an NPD gas station in Industrial Pl, north of Oamaru.
The offender attempted to hide at the gas station, however, the helicopter pilot watched him and notified police of his location.
Officers arrived and located the hiding man.
When police approached his car, they found the laser pointer sitting on the front seat.
The man spoke with officers and told them ‘‘he was trying to deter a drone,’’ Snr Sgt Bond said.
He was arrested and charged with endangering transport.
Helicopter Otago managing director Graeme Gale said the incident could have been catastropic.
‘‘I’m getting sick of it — this could potentially kill.’’
He said that he hoped the man getting caught would deter any future people doing the same.
‘‘You’re actually flying an aircraft and you can’t pull over on the side of the road. This is serious on every level and stupid on every level.’’
Pointing a laser at a helicopter could cause total blindness to the pilot and endanger the lives of everyone onboard.
‘‘I've instructed all my pilots if it's appropriate and we don't have a patient on board to locate every offender that we can.
‘‘These offenders are clowns.’’
The man was bailed to appear in the Oamaru District Court on November 27.
