Three men died in the Cabazon helicopter crash. Here’s what we know about them
Three men who were part of a group battling a small blaze in Riverside County on Sunday were killed when their helicopter struck another chopper around 7:05 p.m., according to authorities.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, identified the victims as Assistant Chief Joshua Bischof, Fire Capt. Tim Rodriguez and pilot Tony Sousa. Friends from Cal Fire confirmed the deaths online.
Here is what we know about the victims.
Joshua Bischof, 46
Bischof was promoted to assistant fire chief in Riverside County in March, according to a Facebook post from his wife.
He was previously the battalion chief at Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base, which is one of the 14 such bases that Cal Fire has across the state. Before that, he worked in Menifee for the Riverside County Fire Department.
Bischof had spent years aboard planes and helicopters directing aerial attacks of fires. He routinely posted photos from high above fires burning in Riverside.
The helicopter crash, which killed three, marks a rare instance in which an aviation battle of a California fire has resulted in a midair collision.
Bischof worked the Camp fire, which ripped through the town of Paradise, Calif., in 2018, he told news outlets.
“This is certainly one of the worst fires in California history,” he told a CBS reporter as they flew over the Paradise destruction. “It’s the most destruction I’ve ever seen.”
Bischof was among the firefighters who joined then-President Trump for a news conference on the Camp fire.
Tim Rodriguez, 44
Rodriguez was a fire captain with Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base, according to Cal Fire and social media posts.
He sometimes took videos of fires from the helicopter, including a memorable shot of the Chaparral fire in Riverside and San Diego counties in 2021.
“His life was firefighting,” said a family member who asked to not be named to avoid unsolicited contact. “That was his life. He loved doing it and he loved training and training people.”
Rodriguez enjoyed taking his wife and kids out of town on his days off, the family member said.
Besides firefighting he loved to cook and was an avid cyclist.
“He did what he loved, and he was doing what he loved when he died,” the family member said.
Tony Sousa, 55
Sousa was a contracted helicopter pilot, according to Cal Fire and social media posts.
He also was a go-kart racer, according to posts from friends.
“All of us at QRC Karts are saddened to learn of the passing of Tony Sousa,” the karting company wrote on Facebook. “An original house car driver, father, and great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sousa family during this devastating time.”
Chad Costa, assistant fire chief for the Petaluma Fire Department, posted that he knew all three victims personally but didn’t offer details about the fallen pilot. Storey County Professional Fire Fighters, the union whose members serve the residents of Reno, also posted on Facebook that Sousa was among the victims.
“We were responding to this incident and heard the ‘Emergency traffic’ call as we were coming into the area,” the union posted. “Your heart sinks when you hear this, but you continue on. Everyone on scene continued to work to mitigate the multiple fires that were active. This incident was a somber reminder of how dangerous this job is. Everyone in the fire service knows the dangers, but all accept the risk, as we all want to help others in their time of need.”
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