RIO BLANCO COUNTY, Colo. — A pilot died after a helicopter crash in Rio Blanco County this week and the incident is now under investigation.
On Wednesday at 8:12 p.m., a person called the Rio Blanco County Communication Center to report that a helicopter pilot who had taken off at Meeker Airport earlier that morning had not yet returned.
Search and rescue teams were called in and Classic Air Medical began searching from up above. The efforts continued for several hours with no luck finding the helicopter.
The search resumed at 6 a.m. Thursday with more resources. Family members joined in and hiked into areas that were likely along the helicopter's known path.
The hikers reported that they had seen “something worth looking at” in an area northeast of Meeker. A pilot with Coulter Aviation flew over that spot and around 6:50 a.m., confirmed a helicopter had crashed there.
The sheriff's office and Meeker Fire & Rescue went out to the scene.
Authorities determined that the sole occupant and pilot, Thomas Prenzlow, 59, of Meeker, had crashed a privately owned MD500 helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were notified and are investigating. No other details were released.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.