A helicopter for a New Mexico sheriff’s department crashed Saturday night while returning from fighting a wildfire, and all four people on board are believed to have died, authorities said. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the “fatal helicopter crash” in a tweet. One of the division’s aircraft, Metro 2, was involved in a crash near Las Vegas, New Mexico. “Preliminary information indicates that 3 BCSO personnel and 1 Bernalillo County fire employee were on board at the time of the crash,” the sheriff’s office said on Twitter. “There are no known survivors. These personnel were headed back to Albuquerque after assisting fire crews with the East Mesa Fire.” Representatives from the sheriff’s office and the New Mexico State Police were on the scene. The sheriff’s office said the investigation was in the preliminary stages, but more updates would be forthcoming. DENVER OFFICER SHOOTING IN LOGOS BAR, SUSPECT FLEES, OTHERS SERIOUSLY INJURED This undated photo shows a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office operational helicopter. (Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office) “Please keep these individuals and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight,” the sheriff’s office tweeted. In a follow-up message, the agency wrote: “We need all the prayers we can get right now.” The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it was also investigating Saturday’s crash. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The NTSB, which manages civil transportation accident investigations on behalf of the US government, tweeted that the crash of a Bell UH-1H helicopter occurred near Chapelle, New Mexico. Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
