Missing helicopter located in Range Creek: two deceased occupants

By PATSY STODDARD

The Emery County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a recovery operation for two males in a helicopter on April 7.
The pair was reported missing and a search ensued. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office contacted Emery County to let them know it was believed the helicopter was in Emery County.
The pair from Washington County and Beaver County were reported to have been collecting shed horns.
Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk said, “We are going into retrieve the bodies. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined and has been turned over to the FAA. The two occupants of the helicopter were located where Range Creek drops down into the Green River. The Utah Highway patrol chopper located the wreckage. We heard a ping, but we could not see the wreckage. Several deputies are going into the area right now.”
The two occupants were reported overdue on April 6. The helicopter and occupants left the area of Green River on April 6, at approximately 11:15 a.m. The helicopter was reported overdue at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Department of Public Safety was contacted at that time and flew in their helicopter to assist in the search. The DPS helicopter flew Sunday evening using their FLIR (forward looking infrared) to aid in that search. The search went until approximately midnight and resumed again Monday morning.
Sheriff Funk said the helicopter was a R-22. Pilot Robin Francis Venuti-38 yrs, from Washington and passenger Albert Munoz Rubio-36 yrs, from Beaver were killed in the crash.