THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, MAY 28, 1973
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United Press International
Helicopter that crashed Saturday near Grand Cay, Bahamas, lay overturned in water
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MAY 2 8 1973
Orders Inquiry Into Fatal Crash
Nixon
Of Army Copter Ferrying His Guards
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla., • May The agent had lived in Green- survivors, coughing from fumes
most of his life before and oil-soaked water, waited
27 (UPI)—President Nixon or- wich
joining the White House pro- on top of it.
dered today an investigation tective detail two months ago. The survivors
were given a
to determine what forced an The six other agents and preliminary examination
Army helicopter to plummet in- three crew members were Grand Cay, and then flown on
by
to the Atlantic last night while "slightly injured" and were helicopter to the Homestead
taking seven. Secret Service taken to a hospital at Home- base for teratment of shock and
agents to guard him and his stead Air Force Base, Mr. slight burns from the fuel oil.
family, on a Bahama island. One Warren saaid.
All were released this morning.
agent died and nine .men suf- The President and his family Three Navy frogmen—on'
fered minor injuries.
flew back to their bayside villa alert whenever the President
The twin-engine helicopter here this afternoon aboard a is near water assisted in the
went down shortly after 10 similar Army helicopter.
rescue.
P.M. (E.D.T.) about a mile south The survivors had been as- The surviving agents were
of Grand Cay, the island owned sisted from the overturned heli- identified as Charles W. Rochby Mr. Nixon's close friend, copter by the pilot, Chief War- ner, 31 years old; Michael E.,
Robert H. Abplanalp, a New rant Officer Ronald C. Bean, 37 Cleary, 26; William H. Brawley,
York multimillionaire. The air- years old, of Dale City, Va.
34; Stephen J. Petro, 30; Robert
craft, which was ferrying the The agents were able to R. Stewart Jr., 26, and James
Secret Service agents from climb on top of the chopper Reiter, 30.
Florida for their overnight shift, and to await rescue aboard The other crewmen were cowas approaching a landing pad small boats dispatched from pilot Frederick W. Evans, 33,
when it went into the water. Grand Cay, where they were and Sgt. William R. Robinson,
Gerald L. Warren, deputy heard shouting for help.
32, both of Fort Belvoir, Va.
White House press secretary, The chief White House pho- Two rubber rafts, one from
said the dead agent's body was tographer, 011ie Atkins, was the nearby Coast Guard cutter
recovered by divers at the standing on the landing pad Cape Knox and another descene of the crash. He was awaiting the arrival of the ployed from the downed chopidentified by the White House helicopter when he heard the per by the pilot, .were used in
as Joseph C. Dietrich, 25 years splashdown and the engines the rescue along with a runaold, of Woodbridge, Va., mar- cut off.
bout brought from Grand Cay
ried and the father of two "It was as dark as a cow's by Secret Service agents.
children. He had been an agent belly," Mr. Atkins 'told report- A barge was summoned from
for "three or four years," Mr. ers after he radioed to the the Grand Bahama Island to
Warren said.
security communications base assist in the .salvage of the
Mr. Nixon, immediately noti- at Walker Cay, six miles away
chopper, which remained afloat.
fied of the crash, "expressed for help.
deep sadness and sympathy for The VH3A helicopter js one
the family of agent Dietrich," of three used to transport the
Mr. Warren said. "He has or- President and his family, and
dered all necessary steps be Mr. Nixon had frequently flown
taken to investigate the cause in it.
of the accident and directed the "I heard a swishing noise
Department of Defense to ap- like water being poured on hot
point an investigative board." cement and then the motor
An Air Force plane flew Mr. stopped," said Mr. Atkins,
Dietrich's body from Homestead adding that for the next few
Air Force Base in Florida to moments "I stood there helpGreenwich, Conn., where fu- less listening to all these guys
neral services will be held. Mrs. . . . yelling for help."
Dietrich flew in from Was'h- Rescuers got to the craft
ington to accompany his body. about 15 minutes later as the