SAFB mourns student pilot killed in rock fall and avalanche

Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·2 min read
1st Lt. Christopher Clark
1st Lt. Christopher Clark

Sheppard Air Force Base is mourning the loss of a student pilot who died in a rock fall and avalanche while hiking with friends over the Memorial Day weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park.

First Lt. Christopher Clark, 25, was raised in Land O' Lakes, Florida, and was a student in Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training class 23-01, officials said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Lt. Clark's family, friends and classmates as they grieve during this sad time," said 1st Lt. Daniel J. Lindstrom, public affairs advisor for the 80th Flying Training Wing.

Lindstrom said information about memorial services for Clark will be forthcoming.

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Clark graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2019 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2021 before coming to Sheppard for pilot training, said George Woodward, SAFB public affairs director.

Clark had completed T-6 training and was waiting for the start of phase three training in the T-38, Woodward said.

At about 5:15 p.m. May 29, searchers found Clark's body using a RECCO device and probing in avalanche debris, according to a media release from the National Park Service.

RECCO technology uses radar to locate a user who is carrying a reflector.

Another man and a woman also involved in the accidents survived their injuries, according to the NPS.

At 9 a.m. May 29, a rock fall and avalanche were reported near the Dreamweaver Couloir on Mount Meeker, according to the NPS.

First Lt. Christopher Clark
First Lt. Christopher Clark

Climbers in the area witnessed the events near the steep gorge, according to the NPS.

Because of the location and the severity of the surviving man's injuries, the Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team requested additional assistance, according to the NPS.

A Colorado National Guard helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base removed him with a hoist that used a winch-operated cable about 2 p.m. May 29, according to the NPS.

Rocky Mountain Rescue assisted with the helicopter hoist operations, which occurred during a brief weather window, according to the NPS.

The man was ultimately flown to Medical Center of the Rockies for treatment, according to the NPS.

The female suffered minor injuries and was flown to Upper Beaver Meadows at 4:15 p.m. May 29 and transferred by ground to further medical care, according to the NPS.

A formation of T-6 planes from Sheppard Air Force Base flies over United Regional Hospital, as shown in this May 1, 2020, file photo, in a mission of gratitude called Operation Spirit Over Texoma to thank all the healthcare professionals and their work against COVID-19.
A formation of T-6 planes from Sheppard Air Force Base flies over United Regional Hospital, as shown in this May 1, 2020, file photo, in a mission of gratitude called Operation Spirit Over Texoma to thank all the healthcare professionals and their work against COVID-19.

Rescue teams worked in terrain above 11,500 feet, at times experiencing winter-like weather conditions throughout the day, according to the NPS.

Several agencies assisted Rocky Mountain National Park’s Search and Rescue team: Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Flight for Life, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Colorado National Guard, and Med Evac.

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: SAFB mourns student pilot who died while hiking with friends