In the lake, the soldiers were able to work on the nautical part of their exercise. Julien Lestage / SO
Several hundred meters from the shore, the men successively jumped into the water under the surveillance of a boat moving nearby. After a few minutes on the surface, a long cable was deployed from the helicopter. The participants then clung to a collective line, forming a real human cluster suspended under the device. Once everything was secure, the helicopter regained altitude before returning to the shore with the ten men hanging under its fuselage.
In the skies over Canaulais, the cluster of soldiers caused a sensation. Julien Lestage / SO
Entertainment for beachgoers
Back at the small port, these were redeposited on the grassy area before falling apart one by one. These particularly spectacular maneuvers caught the attention of local residents and vacationers gathered along the banks. Although the exercise may have surprised by its visibility and its proximity to a tourist site, it did not seem to be of a sensitive nature.
Beachgoers and soldiers were able to cross paths as if nothing had happened. Julien Lestage / SO
On its Facebook page, the municipality had also informed local residents of its holding in advance. The Médoc and the Arcachon basin have long been popular training grounds for armies, thanks to the presence of vast bodies of water, forest areas and sparsely urbanized areas. The operations observed were similar to a helicopter-borne recovery and extraction exercise in a nautical environment, intended to maintain the know-how of the units engaged in this type of mission.
The helicopter and its cluster accompanied by a bird. Julien Lestage / SO
