Zimbabwe politician Roy Bennett and his wife, Heather, were killed in a fiery helicopter crash in the mountainous regions of northern New Mexico, local authorities confirmed Thursday.
The aircraft’s pilot, 57-year-old Jamie Coleman Dodd, co-pilot Paul Cobb, 67, and Charles Burnett, 61, were also among those killed in the deadly incident, according to a police press release.
Lt. Elizabeth Armijo said six people were onboard when the privately owned Huey helicopter spiraled to the ground, about 15 miles east of the Raton Municipal Airport. One of the passengers was “severely injured” in the crash, but is expected to survive.
New Mexico State Police Wednesday evening received a 911 call from one of the victims of the downed aircraft, though they were unable to tell the dispatcher their exact location. A fire reported at a nearby ranch — likely sparked by the crash — helped officials pinpoint the helicopter’s whereabouts, according to authorities.
When they arrived on the scene, they discovered three individuals already dead and the aircraft wreckage fully engulfed in flames.
Authorities found another two male victims alive but “in critical condition.” They both eventually succumbed to their injuries.
There are no details currently available on the helicopter’s destination or the crash’s cause.
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to arrive at the site near the Colorado border on Thursday to investigate the incident.
Bennett, who served as treasurer-general for Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change opposition party, earned a parliamentary seat in a rural constituency despite the fact that he was white. He won over a passionate following of black Zimbabweans for his dedication to political change and often drew the ire of former President Robert Mugabe.
He was often referred to as “Pachedu,” which loosely translates to “one of us” in the Shona language.
Tendai Biti, a prominent opposition leader in Zimbabwe and a former finance minister tweeted that his passing was “tragic” and “a blow to our struggle.”
With News Wire Services
