Comments on: Teen Arrested For Pointing Laser At LifeFlight Helicopter

By: 25 yr old helicopter pilot trainee "mom"

25 yr old helicopter pilot trainee "mom" — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:37:44 +0000

@ Dawnmarie

my SON , once a pilot better not be put @ risk like this and decide to land to save you or ur family members. U R the joke. Guess what… the pilot did not sale this kid this item. please enlighten me…put my self and crew in danger to save someone that just tried to kill himself????? R U seriouse?????? Do you know how it feels just driving on land and have high beams blind you? Try landing in dark with un marked white lines….I don’t usualy post but this hit a nerve.

By: cygie

cygie — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:35:51 +0000

To DawnMarie: Crack cocaine is illegal also, but with your logic nobody should get in trouble for it because they shoudn’t be able to get ahold of it anyway. A 14 year old has plenty of smarts, since they knew enough to point a laser light at a helicopter

By: sunshinegrl

sunshinegrl — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:55:33 +0000

The young man needs to give speeches to other high school kids to let them know exactly how serious a crime this is. Sometimes kids just read but don’t heed anything they read in papers. So if he is required to do this in front of other kids maybe they will finally take some seriousness into this matter.

By: RobC

RobC — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:09:53 +0000

Here in SA it is deemed a terrorist offence and you get thrown in jail for 14 years!

By: Lifefilght Supporter PDP

Lifefilght Supporter PDP — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:39:37 +0000

@Dawn, it was a best decidion by the Lifeflight to ground the flight, I am sure they had to think of the safety of themselves as well as the victim, fellow officers on the ground, as well as others citizens on the ground. If they crew had stayed up and the laser blinded them they copter could have crashed, killed the crew as well as people on the ground. Then add to this formula, if the crew had picked up the victim, taken to the air again, get blinded by the laser, add one more to the death count. Also the crew did not know if they were being targeted to be shot at. you never know with all the attacks that go on now. There was still and emergancy on the ground and maybe the decision was made to utilize ground transport., which was the safest method at the time.

O.k. he apologized, but maybe a part of his punishment should be to know what lasers are actually used for, and the dangers of them and the dangers of breaching Homeland Security, and them be made to make the report in front of his classmates in an assembly, not only as a lesson for him but so that other teens can be aware of the danger.

By: None

None — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:29:10 +0000

Just in case some of you don't understand why he got in trouble, watch this video. Laser points can reflex on glass and make an piece of glass completely light up if they hit it just right. This is most common on curved glass like the front windshield of a helicopter. It is far less common on a flat piece of glass like at a house. So, if the laser was to hit the windows of the helicopter in just the right way the pilot could literally lose ALL visibility. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZWMjSCTNtv8#t=14s

By: BT

BT — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:20:30 +0000

Dawn, not all members of the flight crew are involved in patient care. There’s a guy that sits up front who’s only responsible for flying the helicopter.

By: DawnMarie Buerkle

DawnMarie Buerkle — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:21:07 +0000

Wow! Must have been a real serious emergency since after landing the life flight crew member had time to canvas the neighborhood for the laser bandit and apprehend them . Before taking the victim ” who obviously wasn’t attempting to live ” to a nearby hospital for treatment ! Sounds like it wasn’t that urgent emergency ! Escambia county ur a joke ! If it’s a 3rd degree felony to point a laser pointer at someone how about not selling them too kids !!!! There’s a thought ! And another thing he’s 14 if u think that a kid that age knows the consequences of a simple thing like that you’re crazy ! Lastly I just want to say that if this child gets in any trouble over this GOD help us all! We’re doomed as a species

By: mel

mel — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:12:34 +0000

The kid knew darn well what he was doing. He deserves what he got with only one exception. A good butt whipping by his parents.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:46:33 +0000

He didn’t know what he was doing?!?! are you kidding me? … He is 14 not 4… He should be happy that he didn’t get in anymore trouble than he did… Honestly I think he got off light! Anyone who is capable of picking up a laser pointer and using it correctly or incorrectly knows that you are not suppose to point it in the eyes of someone… it says it directly on the pointer itself (assuming this poor 14 year old who didn’t know any better can read.) Lets just hope this foolish kid didn’t cause that patient to not get the care he/she truly needed!