16/09/2026
HUET TRAINING — ASR 🚁🌊
Preparation for any major search and rescue exercise starts long before the teams arrive on the day.
For our Station 5 Air Sea Rescue (ASR) team, that preparation includes Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), working alongside Durban Metro Police Search and Rescue.
HUET is designed to prepare rescue personnel for escaping from a helicopter that has ditched or crashed into the water.
The training covers everything from impact preparation and the correct brace position, to underwater escape, emergency exits, controlled breathing and post-escape survival.
A major focus is learning to manage panic and disorientation while underwater and to rely on a rehearsed sequence:
Brace. Stay calm. Orientate. Release. Exit. Surface. Survive.
For an ASR team operating alongside helicopters, these are important skills to have firmly in place. A ditching can leave occupants submerged, inverted, disorientated and without normal visual references.
The training uses realistic ditching scenarios to put those skills under pressure, building familiarity with the equipment, procedures and physical demands of an underwater escape.
It’s practical, uncomfortable and incredibly valuable training — the kind that builds confidence through repetition and prepares crews for the unexpected.
A big thank you to Durban Metro Police Search and Rescue for training alongside our ASR team and helping us strengthen the skills required for aviation and maritime rescue operations.
