Update - Tuesday January 28th, 2014 at 10:34pm:
Holy Cross Energy releases a photo and name of one of their employees who died in Monday's crash south of Silt as Larry Shaffer.
Post from the Holy Cross Energy facebook page:
"It is with great sadness that we report the loss of a long-time Holy Cross Energy employee who passed away Monday in the tragic helicopter crash near Silt, CO. Larry Shaffer, a crew foreman and journeyman lineman, worked at Holy Cross Energy for more than 28 years.
Larry was been best known for his infectious grin and welcoming smile to everyone he greeted.
On behalf of Holy Cross, its employees and Board of Directors, we ask you to keep his wife, Jo, children Dane, Cole and Stefanie, and two grandchildren, Hannah and Blake, in your thoughts and prayers.
A fund, to support his family, has been established in Larry’s name at Alpine Bank."
Original posting - Monday January 27th, 2014 at 3:36pm:
Three people are dead, including the pilot, following a helicopter crash south of Silt, earlier today. The Garfield County Sheriff’s department says it was notified just before 11:20am this morning of the crash. According to a press release from the department, the helicopter was doing routine inspections of power lines when it hooked a line crossing County Road 331 and crashed killing all onboard. The Aspen Daily News reports the pilot was Doug Sheffer, the owner and chief pilot for DBS Helicopters of Rifle. The names of the dead have not been released. The crash took place about a mile and a half south of south of Silt. Emergency responders from the sheriff’s office and the Bureau of Land Management were at the scene this afternoon working to remove the victims from the wreckage. Holy Cross Energy said it had contracted with DBS Helicopters and HotShot Infrared Inspections of Ft. Collins to inspect 250 miles of its power lines between Dubuque and Aspen. The inspections were part of an effort to find “hot spots” in the wires that could be a fire hazard in the summer months. The National Transportation Safety Board could be brought in to perform the investigation. County Road 331 is expected to remain closed for the next day or two until the site investigation is complete.
