date: The Medford Mail Tribune is reporting the names of six of the firefighters who died in the Trinity Alps after the worst helicopter crash in firefighting history:
Six of the seven Grayback Forestry Inc. firefighters missing and presumed dead after a helicopter crash Tuesday in the Trinity Alps have been identified. All are from Southern Oregon:
Shawn Blazer, 30, of Medford; imgCounter += 1; aryImgs[imgCounter] = “http://images.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=MM&Date=20080807&Category=NEWS07&ArtNo=808070341&Ref=V2&MaxW=200&MaxH=180&title=1&border=0”; aryCaps[imgCounter] = “<div class=\”caption\”>Scott%20Charleson%2C%2025%2C%20of%20Phoenix </div>”; aryZooms[imgCounter] = “javascript: NewWindow(870,625,window.document.location+’&Template=photos&img=”+imgCounter+”‘)”;
Scott Charleson, 25, of Phoenix;
Matthew Hammer, 23, of Grants Pass;
Edrik Gomez, 19, of Ashland;
Bryan Rich, 29, of Medford;
David Steele, 19, of Ashland.
Grayback released the firefighters’ names and their photos this afternoon. A spokesperson said the identity of the seventh firefighter aboard the aircraft would be released after the family had been notified.
We are still waiting for news on the names of the firefighters who are missing after a chopper crash near Junction City, CA yesterday evening. Most appear to be from Southern Oregon, based in Merlin.
Local news does not have many details about the crash or those now listed as missing. They are just saying one dead, 8 missing, and four injured. Carson Helicopters was the company running the operation.
Joe Duck 