Procession held to honor firefighters killed in helicopter crash above brush fire in Cabazon
A somber procession was held in the inland Empire on Thursday to honor the two fallen firefighters who were killed during a midair collision above a brush fire in Cabazon over the weekend.
The crash occurred between two firefighting helicopters attacking a fire at around 6 p.m., just south of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. The collision killed three people: Cal Fire Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez and pilot Tony Sousa.
The large procession began at the Riverside County Coroner's Office in Perris and continued to the Evan Brown Mortuary in Menifee, with dozens of law enforcement vehicles following the hearses carrying the fallen firefighters.
Upon leaving, the Coroner's Office, the hearses drove underneath a giant American flag that was hoisted between two extended fire-truck ladders on Monday, when the bodies of the three men who were killed arrived.
A Cal Fire helicopter followed the procession from overhead.
On top of the massive turnout by police officers, fellow firefighters and other first responders, many members of the Inland Empire community stopped to pay their respects.
"They're running into fires while everyone else is running out," said George Mills, a Menifee resident. "Even though we're not part of the firefighting family, we're part of Menifee. ... That's why my wife came down to support them."
Tony Sousa, the private pilot, is set to have a separate procession at a later date.
The three victims were onboard a Bell helicopter, which collided with a Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter during firefighting efforts. The Sikorsky landed safely with all occupants uninjured.
The exact cause of the tragic crash still remains unclear. The NTSB investigation is still ongoing.