Many heliport accidents are due to obstruction hazards and design failures, but pilots receive little training on how to assess heliport infrastructure.
A story of spiritual awakening while kept hostage Published by
Email: editor.camsel@catholictt.org
Christmas Day 1997 was a turning point in the life of Marino Restrepo. He was kidnapped for ransom by four armed guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or FARC). Bound, gagged, and hooded, Restrepo, then 47 years, was kept in a cave for pickup by another group to be taken further into the dense Colombian jungle. Government soldiers were looking for him for two weeks so the handover could not be done.
“I was treated like an animal,” he said. He was fed wild fruits when taken out once daily from the cave. In a weakened state, he was told once the ransom was paid by his family, he would be killed.