Three people were killed after two firefighting helicopters collided in air while working to extinguish a fire in Southern California. CNN’s Camila Bernal has more.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while responding to a blaze in Southern California, sending one to the ground in a crash that killed all three people on board.
The crash late Sunday afternoon in the desert about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Los Angeles involved a huge Sikorsky S-64E and a smaller Bell 407. The larger Sikorsky landed safely.
“Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed and tragically all three members perished,” Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher said at a news conference early Monday.
The Bell helicopter was being used for observation and coordination, Fulcher said. The Sikorsky can drop water or retardant on fires. Fulcher said he did not know whether it was loaded at the time of the crash.
The victims were Cal Fire Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, 46, Cal Fire Capt. Tim Rodriguez, 44, and contract pilot Tony Sousa, 55, the firefighting agency said.
Bischof had 24 years of fire service and Rodriguez had 19 years, fire officials said.
Bischof, who lived in Menifee, recently was promoted to assistant chief and worked at the Southern Region Operations Center at March Air Reserve Base, retired Cal Fire Battalion Chief Don Camp said.
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