'I lost all my friends,' says helicopter crash survivor

'I lost all my friends,' says helicopter crash survivor
By Times staff writers 12:17 p.m.
Amid a somber mood, firefighters press on against Shasta-Trinity fire after 9 are believed to have been killed. Witnesses are debriefed and grief counseling is made available.

By Maria LaGanga, Joe Mozingo and Julie Cart, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
12:17 PM PDT, August 7, 2008
JUNCTION CITY, Calif. - Firefighters continued battling fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest today as federal officials began arriving to investigate the cause of a deadly helicopter crash and grief counselors descended on the base camp here to debrief witnesses and offer aid to crew members.

It was a somber day in the Trinity Alps. At an early morning briefing for firefighters, Jeff Currier, a member of the air support group, told the assembled crowd that when "it feels like you've been kicked in the head . . . you have to move on. We'll be 100% on the move."


Mike Donch, a human resources specialist with the firefighting effort, said that two "critical incident management teams" are arriving today to begin debriefing crew members who witnessed Tuesday's helicopter crash that was believed to have killed nine people and injured four. Grief counseling would also be available for any firefighters who need it, he said.
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