He and First Officer Ronnie Chambless were flying a Lockheed Martin P2V aircraft, dumping fire retardant on the 5,000 acre White Rock Fire which was sparked by lightning in eastern Nevada. On the second run of the day, they were nearing the wildfire when they crashed in the Hamlin Valley area of Iron County, Utah, near the Utah-Nevada border. It was estimated that the aircraft held approximately 1,600 gallons of fuel and 2,000 gallons of fire retardant. Both men died at the scene of the crash.
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| Father, place Todd on the road to Heaven. |
Todd was a 17 year veteran of aerial firefighting and had only recently completed a flight training course in the U.K.
Family members stated that Todd valued his work because he knew that it saved lives and saved communities. They are devastated by his loss.
Todd is survived by many loving friends and relatives, including his wife, Cassandra; and three children - Phoebe (age 16), Sam (age 15) and Paige (age 10).
Pray for all who die while doing their jobs.
Let us pray that Todd Tompkins is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen.
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