Four are dead after a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) helicopter crashed in New Mexico on Saturday night.
The crash happened near Las Vegas, New Mexico, located approximately 122 miles northeast of Albuquerque, where Bernalillo County is located.
The victims include three BCSO personnel and one Bernalillo County fire employee, according to preliminary information from the sheriff’s office.
The New Mexico State Police later confirmed the fatalities.
“A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Bell UH-1H helicopter crashed around 10 p.m. Saturday,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The aircraft, Metro 2, was on its way back to Albuquerque after assisting fire crews with the East Mesa Fire, the BCSO stated.
The BCSO and New Mexico State Police are investigating the crash, along with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The investigation is in the preliminary stages, the sheriff’s office noted.
“Please keep these individuals and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight,” the BCSO requested in their press release.
“I am absolutely devastated. Holding loved ones in my heart,” Bernalillo County Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty said on social media.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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