Aug 6, 2008 1:00 pm US/Pacific
FAA: 9 Dead In Fire Chopper Crash, 4 Hurt
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) ―
Seven Oregonians have been identified as victims of the crash of a firefighting helicopter that crashed in Northern California.
One was a pilot, and six were firefighters. A total of nine people died in the crash Tuesday night.
The names of two have not been released.
Carson Helicopters of Grants Pass said Thursday that 54-year-old Roark Schwanenberg of Lostine in northeastern Oregon was one of two pilots and listed as missing.
Federal officials said Thursday it was all but certain that the missing were dead.
The other pilot is William Coultas of Cave Junction. He was seriously injured.
Thursday afternoon, Grayback Forestry of Merlin, Oregon, identified six members of a firefighting crew aboard the helicopter who were presumed to be dead.
It said it was trying to get in touch with relatives of a seventh.
Grayback said the six were:
-- Shawn Blazer, 30, Medford.
-- Scott Charleson, 25, Phoenix.
-- Matthew Hammer, 23, Grants Pass.
-- Edrik Gomez, 19, Ashland.
-- Bryan Rich, 29, Medford.
-- David Steele, 19, Ashland.
Three members of the crew survived.
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