CHOPPER TRAGEDY
THE four first responders who were killed in a helicopter crash while they were tackling a wildfire have been identified.
The horrific incident happened Saturday night in Chapelle, New Mexico, about 52 miles northwest of Santa Fe.
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Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lieutenant Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison, and Rescue Specialist Matthew King died due to the horror accident, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office .
"The helicopter and its crew were assisting with a wildfire in the area, providing bucket drops and other air logistics needs to fire crews on the ground," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The is investigating the unknown cause behind the crash of the Bell UH-1H helicopter.
"As a mutifaceted/multiagency investigation is currently ongoing, the information we provide in this update is still considered preliminary," the statement reads.
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The sheriff's office is working with the Office of the Medical Investigator to recover the bodies from the crash site.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) confirmed to The Sun that the chopper belonged to the department.
"These personnel were headed back to Albuquerque after assisting fire crews with the East Mesa Fire," the statement also confirmed.
The agency identified the helicopter as "Metro 2."
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Representatives from the sheriff’s office and New Mexico State Police (NMSP) responded to the scene.
The sheriff's office tweeted:
"Please keep these individuals and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight. We need all the prayers we can get right now."
NMSP also revealed on that the Federal Aviation Administration is also involved in the investigation.
According to local Albuquerque, New Mexico outlet , "BCSO has frequently used its helicopter to provide aerial firefighting and other assistance across New Mexico, particularly this fire season."
"In the past several days, BCSO used the Metro 2 helicopter to fight a small fire in the East Mountains near Albuquerque, and the Atalaya Fire near Santa Fe," per the outlet.
Data from online flight tracker, , show the chopper, with tail number N911SZ, had a last recorded position at about 2:32pm local time Saturday.
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Per KRQE, BCSO also has a second helicopter, N911ZZ, which was not involved in the firefighting operations.
"Our focus remains on providing care and support for the surviving family members as they grapple with the situation," the sheriff's office said.
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