‘I kept dialling, hoping he’d answer’: Grief-stricken families of Netcare helicopter crash victims open up about tragedy

The cool, overcast day matches the sombre mood of the mourners gathered on the field. White plastic chairs have been arranged around five tall white crosses planted in a circle in a section of the field noticeably darker than the verdant brush that stretches into the distance.

This is the spot where four healthcare workers and a pilot died when their helicopter crashed on a farm near Winterton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands late last month, scorching the earth.

Loved ones and colleagues have assembled on the field six days after the horrific crash to plant five indigenous trees in their memory in a heart-rending ceremony.