bet this wasnt included in the job description
News - Crime & Courts: Wounded chopper pilot flies crew to safety
10 out of 10 for tenacity
Wounded chopper pilot flies crew to safety
May 06 2009 at 11:27AM
A police helicopter pilot was shot while he and his crew were trying to stop a gang of suspected cash-in-transit robbers from hijacking a motorist on the Golden Highway, south of Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.
The gang is believed to have earlier attacked the Trade Route Mall in Lenasia where they attacked and hijacked a cash-in-transit van that was collecting money from a shop in the centre.
The gunmen then forced the driver to drive off with their accomplices driving behind them in Jeep which they later abandoned in the suburb.
Getting into a white Chrysler which was waiting at the drop-off point the robbers raced off along the Golden Highway towards Eladorado Park.
While racing along the highway members of the Rapid Reaction Unit spotted the vehicle weaving between cars and gave chase.
The police helicopter, which was flying overhead at the time of the chase, joined in the chase, eventually forcing the robbers to crash and abandon their car.
It is believed that as the robbers hijacked a Black Toyota Yaris, which was driving past, one of the gunmen opened fire on the helicopter, shooting the pilot in the leg.
Although injured, the pilot and crew continued pursuing the gunmen helping their colleagues on the ground by giving them directions in which the gunmen were flying.
It is believed that the pilot was shot a second time while trying to force the robbers off the road as they tried to make their escape.
Despite the helicopter apparently being badly damaged, the pilot managed to fly himself and his crew to Milpark Hospital, where he landed safely and was treated for his injuries.