Just two months ago in Bali, they unveiled a Bell 412 helicopter equipped with a hoist system — a winch that lowers a rescuer and lifts an injured person without landing. At the time, this was described as something new for Bali. And it proved useful.
In the south of the island, a Bell 211 — commonly nicknamed the Iroquois — was used to evacuate two tourists from Russia who were cut off by the rising tide beneath a cliff near Cemongkak Beach in the village of Pecatu. They were trapped for several hours.
A land rescue was too dangerous: the area is hard to reach, and time was running out as the tide kept coming in. The helicopter took off from the pad in Benoa and was on scene in just 12 minutes. The tourists were hoisted into the cabin one by one using a special cable system, without landing. The man had minor injuries to his leg and elbow; the woman was not seriously hurt. After being checked by medics, both declined hospitalisation.
During the training exercise in February, rescuers said this kind of equipment is needed for narrow shorelines, cliffs, and other hard-to-access terrain. It seems the training was far from just for show: the same approach was used in a real operation.
If you go to non-tourist beaches where you can only get out at low tide, always check the tide timetable and make sure you know your limits.
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