Families remember rescue workers killed in helicopter crash in New Mexico

By Gregory Hasman
Albuquerque Journal

TIJERAS, NM — Honor guards from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department stood guard at the East Mountain Memorial Wall Tuesday evening to honor four men who died in a helicopter crash in northern New Mexico in 2022.

Rescue specialist and paramedic Matthew King of the Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue Department and three members of the sheriff’s office assisted with the fire in East Mesa.

As they stood, dozens of people walked to the wall. Some kissed their fingers and then placed them on the name of a loved one on the wall, while others knelt before the name.

“We will never forget what these guys did for us,” said Tim Sheahan, who came to remember the first responders.

On July 16, 2022, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Larry Koren (55), Lt. Fred Beers (51), Deputy Michael Levison (30), and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue Specialist Matthew King (44) were returning to Albuquerque after conducting firefighting operations near Chapelle, south of Las Vegas, when the BCSO’s Metro 2 helicopter crashed.

Andrew Levison, Michael Levison’s brother, told the Journal he went to the crash site earlier in the day. As he walked to a memorial made up of an American flag and pieces of the helicopter honoring the men, Andrew said he thought of their sacrifices.

“I’m proud of them and what they accomplished that day,” Andrew said. “I think they did God’s work.”

Although some time has passed since the incident, the memories are still fresh for many family members and friends.

“For a long time I thought it was just a bad dream,” said Noëlle Ashoo, Michael Levison’s partner. “Even after the first year I thought this was some crazy drama.”

“A true brother”

While some people walked to the memorial, others mingled with their relatives or members of the sheriff’s office and fire department.

Retired BCSO Sergeant Nathan Lerner spoke to some of King’s family members and said Beers was the “perfect human being,” which in Yiddish is a person of integrity and honor.

Beers was not only a smart man, he said, but “he would never say anything bad about others.”

“He was a real brother,” Lerner said.

Sheahan said he remembers Beers and Koren as “very dedicated to their work and to the people of Bernalillo County.”

King was known for his passion for his job, his desire to help others, and his sense of humor.

“He made you laugh until you couldn’t stand it anymore,” said his father, James King.

James said it was difficult for him to talk about his son’s death, but two years later he is able to “talk a lot about Matt.”

“Every day is tough, and I imagine it will be tough for quite some time,” James said.

“We have further questions”

Tuesday’s commemoration came just weeks after the National Transportation Safety Board released its final report investigating the crash, in which federal investigators said engine failure caused by poor maintenance caused the crash.

Andrew said the report left his parents “angry, disappointed and frustrated” because the incident could have been prevented.

Four people were killed when the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crashed while battling a wildfire in 2022

“Why did this happen?” asked Andrew. “Why did we lose our family member?

“This has not brought closure to our family. We still have more questions.”

Ashoo said she hadn’t brought herself to read the report. “It doesn’t bring him back,” she said, “so it doesn’t change anything for me.”

While the report may not change anything or bring closure, Andrew says the next step is to “prevent this from happening to someone else.”

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