Cape Town - A man who met fallen helicopter hero Hendrik Willem “Bees” Marais 26 years ago, remembers two special encounters he had with him.
Marais, 71, was killed on Sunday in a forced landing while fighting a blaze at Olifantsbos at the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
Peter Hughes, 68, a businessman who had recently settled here from England, remembered Marais as “a gentleman”.
“A mutual friend of ours, a captain in the police, was having a braai in Durbanville; Bees was on duty and couldn’t attend, but came to wish the captain a happy birthday.
“But, the nicest thing he did was, as he was heading back to patrol, he climbed into his chopper, flipped it and flew in a circular motion over the roof. And then just before setting off, he tipped the nose of the chopper twice - as if to say happy birthday, then he left.”
Hughes said he met Marais in September 1989 when he and a friend had arranged to make a donation to two high-ranking pilots.
Major Bees, as he was known, and co-pilot Major Ben van der Westhuizen were the chosen two.
In a pre-arranged meeting, Hughes, his friend, Marais, and his co-pilot, took a trip to Laingsburg.
“We asked them what they wanted… and they said quality leather briefcases for their navigation books and documents.”
The briefcases were later handed over at a formal function in a restaurant in Clifton. It was followed by a short tour to Gugulethu police station.
Hughes said hearing about the pilot’s death on the radio was a shock.
“When you’ve known someone from 26 years ago, your brain starts to kick in. I got confused with his names, but when they said Bees, I knew who it was.
“When you meet someone like him you get emotional… he was a hero till the end.
“Saving lives was in his blood. A normal 71-year-old would be spending his time in the garden on a rocking chair, but he continued flying and putting out fires.”
Meanwhile, tributes continued to pour in for Bees.
Throughout the day on Monday, people took flowers to the Newlands Fire Station in memory of the pilot.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Arno Lamoer also conveyed his condolences on behalf of the police unit.
“Colonel Marais worked as the first unit commander of the South African Police Service’s Airwing in Cape Town. He retired in 2004 at the age of 60. His former colleagues described him as a remarkable human being who was always prepared to help others. Colonel Marais was sworn in to the SAPS in 1990.”
Lamoer said he remembered Marais as a pilot with a strong work ethic.
“He was affectionately called Bees and trained a number of police members with the Airwing environment. What an incredible human being he was. You could not miss his positive spirit.”
Cape Argus