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Landing a helicopter on the beach


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It is last Saturday not a cloud in the sky and the temperature is in the upper 20' 's. A day on which a good proportion of the residents of and visitors to Saint Jean de Luz have joined us on the beach.. All is a tranquil scene with small boys playing in the sand with their fathers . Grandmas and Grandads are in their chairs under shades and the sun worshipers are all oiled up and bronzing nicely on beach towels .. Teenagers are swimming out to the dive platforms positioned on a blue and flat calm sea a couple of hundred meters off shore and are showing off their diving skills to the girls .

All of a sudden the beach patrol staff in their white T shirts and red shorts are animated ....and.... with much waving of arms and instruction through loud hailer's .... two lines of people are cajoled into place stretching down from the esplanade to the waters edge .

.Standing back to back a hundred or more people are encouraged to hold hands .... The two lines of old men and boys ..... bronzed young men.....and a goodly number of bare breasted beauties ...then..... arms outstreatched hand in hand walk forward....They clear the beach of people who scurry to pick up their towels and cool boxes and get out of their way....

Then... with a clatter ..... round the headland it came .....The blue emergency service helicopter..... losing height with two quick circuits of the bay while the crowd clearer's did their job.

It came in .....skimming low over the swimming teenagers to drop onto a 50 to 60 meter wide landing strip now created in front of the life guard and first aid station. ...A patient was to be later stretchered on board accompanied by a medic and evacuated to hospital.

So ......next time you are on the beach and two lines of people form up and you wonder what they are doing ... .its not Morris Dancing !..Expect the arrival of a big fan and a sand storm ...... and ......if eating lunch your salad will soon have a little extra crunch!

I give ten out of ten to the boys and girls of the French beach security patrol ...It was very well organized..... I was most impressed ..

I am sure the patient was grateful for their actions and also those of the people of Saint Jean de Luz for carrying out their civic duties in quickly creating the clearing on such a crowded beach ... And the bare breasted beauties ? ...Now standing in their tanning oil coated with fine sand they got to meet the helicopter pilots ..The crew it seemed had to made a special point of going over to thank them for making it possible to land !
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