Three state wildlife workers in Texas died over the weekend when their helicopter crashed during an aerial bighorn sheep survey, officials said Sunday.
The pilot, a private contractor, survived the Saturday crash in West Texas' Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, the state Department of Parks and Wildlife said in a statement.
The pilot, whose condition wasn’t immediately known, was taken to a hospital in El Paso, more than 300 miles away, the department said. The department also didn’t immediately say what caused the crash.
The department identified the dead as Dewey Stockbridge, a wildlife biologist; Brandon White, a fish and wildlife technician; and Bob Dittmar, a wildlife veterinarian.
“No words can begin to express the depth of sadness we feel for the loss of our colleagues in this tragic accident,” said the department’s executive director, Carter Smith, according to the statement.
“These men were consummate professionals, deeply liked and highly regarded by their peers and partners alike for the immense passion, dedication, and expertise they brought to their important work in wildlife management and veterinary medicine,” he said.
The department said that state and federal authorities are investigating the crash.
State conservation efforts that began decades ago have produced more than 1,000 free-ranging bighorn shop around the state, according to the department. In the Black Gap area, 20 of the animals were introduced in 1995. Dozens more were taken there from other parts of the state over the years.
Wildlife managers conduct aerial surveys every fall to track population numbers and trends, the department said.
