A helicopter crash at the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (WMA) took the lives of three Texas Parks and Wildlife Division staff.
The team working for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) was conducting aerial surveys for desert bighorn sheep on Saturday. The victims include Wildlife Biologist Dewey Stockbridge, Fish and Wildlife Technician Brandon White, and State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Bob Dittmar. The Black Gap WMA is in Brewster County in west Texas. The pilot, a private contractor, survived the crash and was transported to El Paso for further treatment.
The trio of conservationists were “consummate professionals, deeply liked and highly regarded by their peers and partners alike for the immense passion, dedication and expertise they brought to their important work in wildlife management and veterinary medicine,” said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. “No words can begin to express the depth of sadness we feel for the loss of our colleagues in this tragic accident.” Smith also expressed concern and hope for the recovery of the pilot from his injuries.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Federal Aviation Administration and Texas Game Wardens are investigating the crash.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott states, “Our hearts ache today for those who died in this tragic accident.”
What to do when disaster strikes: in the outdoors, the city and in the home; how to survive on land, water and in the air, in any climate and in harsh terrain. This large and very detailed book offers practical advice, street know-how and step-by-step techniques for staying alive – with 1100 photographs and illustrations showing tactics, and 80 training projects for extreme life skills to use in emergencies.
It also deals with self-sufficiency in the wild: survival skills and bushcraft techniques, tools, equipment and medical emergencies. Also includes: coping when everyday situations become life-threatening: surviving as a hostage; self-protection and street skills; danger at home; the do’s and don’ts of being a tourist. It offers expert advice to help you avoid hazardous situations, and respond positively to confrontation. This is the ultimate guide to survival. The tactics, skills and tricks of the trade taught in this professional survivors’ manual could save your life.
