US Vice President Mike Pence has led tributes to the three American firefighters killed in a tragic water-bomber crash in NSW on Thursday.
Karen & I send our prayers & deep condolences to the families of the 3 brave American firefighters who died in AUS yesterday while on their way to battle the terrible bushfires. Our Nation will always honor the memory of those lost in the line of duty working to help others.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 23, 2020
According to News Ltd:
The highly skilled crew had battled hot turbulent winds as they manoeuvred the massive air tanker full of 15,000 litres of water and fire retardant just a few hundred feet off the ground, protecting lives and homes.
Remembered among the devastated tight-knit firefighting family as a “remarkable, well-respected crew”, the brave trio had dumped over two million litres of water and fire retardant on multiple blazes since arriving on November 5.
They had flown more than 130 missions since December 1.
