The Latest: 911 call released in New Mexico helicopter crash
A 911 recording indicates Zimbabwe opposition leader Roy Bennett was injured but still alive as authorities tried to determine the location of a fiery New Mexico helicopter crash that ultimately killed him, his wife, Heather, and three others.
Raton police released 911 recordings Friday from the crash two days earlier in remote northern New Mexico.
Andra Cobb, the 911 caller and the crash’s sole survivor, was frantic as she spoke to a dispatcher, saying that she was watching her “family burn.”
She also said Bennett was alive but suffering from a head wound.
Her father, Paul Cobb, was the co-pilot. Her partner, Charles Burnett III, owned the ranch where the group was headed for vacation. Both were killed Wednesday.
Authorities say pilot Jamie Coleman Dodd also called 911, but later died.
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Investigators will comb through the charred wreckage in search for clues as to why the helicopter carrying the group of prominent friends went down after dark Wednesday.
Friends and family members confirmed Thursday that Zimbabwe opposition leader Roy Bennett and his wife, Heather, had traveled to New Mexico to spend their holiday with friend and wealthy businessman Charles Burnett III at his ranch.
Despite frigid temperatures that evening, the weather appeared to be clear and the wind was mild as they headed east over a rugged area toward Burnett’s ranch.
The only survivor was Andra Cobb, the co-pilot’s daughter and Burnett’s long-term partner. She was able to escape before the helicopter burst into flames.
