BCSO helicopter crash victim initially survived (NM-Three LEO and a firefighter/EMT die, one made 911 call)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | July 19. 2022 | Matthew Reisen

[CedarDave]

It began with a 911 call around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

A man was “in a lot of pain and disoriented.” He told a dispatcher he was trapped inside a downed helicopter. There were three others in the helicopter, which had crashed in a remote part of San Miguel County.

“He’s just advising that it’s just him right now, but he is stating that there were four on board, including himself,” the dispatcher said over the radio, kicking off a frantic search.

By 8:06 p.m. the caller had fallen silent as officers and firefighters scoured a 5-mile area for the wreckage and at least one rescue helicopter declined to respond “due to weather.”

“The line is open but he’s not responding to anything,” a dispatcher said over the radio.

When New Mexico State Police officers found the crash site, there were two men unresponsive and two others clearly dead. Within minutes, ambulances and medical assistance was called off.

The four were beyond help.

It was the single deadliest incident for law enforcement in New Mexico, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, claiming the lives of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Larry Koren, 55; Lt. Fred Beers, 51; and Deputy Michael Levison, 30. Bernalillo County Fire Department rescue specialist Matthew King, 44, was also killed in the crash. The last time BCSO lost someone in the line of duty was 2010, when a deputy was killed in a vehicle crash in Southeast Albuquerque.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the BCSO helicopter fell out of the sky at a high rate of speed, killing all four onboard. But dispatch recordings reveal at least one of the men, who is not identified, was not killed instantly.

[CedarDave]

Lengthy article with timeline of events including search efforts to find the chopper.

[CedarDave]

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[Diana in Wisconsin]

Prayers up for the families left behind.

When I was in the Army we had a CO and First Sergeant go down in a chopper. In the rain. At night. Worst night of my life. First Sergeant & the pilot were killed, CO broke both legs. The search party before mine found him, standing on his broken legs, banging a piece of metal from the crash on what was left of the chopper. :(

[VeniVidiVici]

Where was that?

[George from New England]

No idea what BCSO stands for

[z3n]

at least there weren’t bears involved

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It was a National Guard Training Exercise at Fort Mc Coy, WI that we were assisting with. Mid 80’s, if I’m remembering correctly.

[Qiviut]

No idea what BCSO stands for

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

[CedarDave]

BCSO - Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Albuquerque is located within Bernalillo County.

[SES1066]

From the article timeline, it took 39 minutes to locate and arrive on scene of the crash (7:29p to 8:08p), so that was, for that area, a good response time.

It will take time for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) to investigate and attempt to determine cause(s) and solutions. It is very probable that this helicopter had the post-mortem orange boxes for the inquest.

Helicopters are marvelous machines, so capable of wondrous feats of flying! But everyone involved in their operation knows that maxim that the machine is basically a collection of unwilling parts flying in close formation until they don’t!

RIP for these professionals and especially for their families and friends!

[CedarDave]

It is very probable that this helicopter had the post-mortem orange boxes for the inquest.

The helicopter was a rebuilt Vietnam era chopper. One report is that it was not so equipped.

This chopper was the one that assisted in the rescue of 21 people from two stuck Sandia Peak tram cars on this past New Year's day.

[CedarDave]

It will take time for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) to investigate and attempt to determine cause(s) and solutions.

Three scenarios come immediately to mind: There were thunderstorms reported in the area, a possible microburst; the chopper had just refueled at the Las Vegas airport (but had also done so earlier too); or shot down by local redneck idiot (another was shot at in ABQ a couple of years ago).

[Tijeras_Slim]

BCSO has excellent pilots. Their other chopper helped suppress a wildfire just east of the range where I worked a few years back. They could drop on a specific tree if it flared up. I’m thinking weather or some massive mechanical failure. It had to happen very fast for there was no mayday call.

[VeniVidiVici]

Ah. Just curious. Never been there :)

[DesertRhino]

Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department. A good non woke agency.