Photo: AFP
An Otago rescue helicopter pilot says laser strikes are threatening lives during rescue missions after two of their aircraft were hit in the past week.
One of their pilots was carrying a patient to Dunedin Hospital early on Sunday morning when a laser was shone into their cockpit near Kakanui.
Helicopters Otago chief executive and chief pilot Graeme Gale said a laser strike could temporarily or permanently blind the pilot, which could be catastrophic.
"It's putting the pilot, the medics, the doctors and the patient at risk," Gale said.
"We don't go flying at night for fun, we're on medevac (taking patients to hospital). Many of them are life saving missions that we're on and now we're having to deal with these idiots that have got lasers."
He was extremely angry and disappointed there had been ten laser strikes over a short period of time.
The lasers were often hitting the helicopters multiple times as they flew past and the chances of hitting the pilot were very high, he said.
"We'll do everything we can to try and track them down. If we get an opportunity and we can track them down and hand them over to the police, that's where it's going."
He asked the public to report others using lasers to police.
"If they phone the police and give the police the contacts, the locations and registration number, we will prosecute them.
"Make no bones about it, I'm sick of it because it can be catastrophic.
"It's extremely dangerous what they are doing."
Police were contacted about the laser strike over Kakanui about 3.40am on Sunday.
They searched the area extensively, but did not find the person responsible and said all lines of enquiry had been exhausted, police said.