8/26/08 Crooked River Canyon
 
By Doug Johnson
 
The wreckage of a truck at the bottom of Crooked River Canyon was all that remained from a crash July 6th, which claimed the lives of 18-year-old Danelle Christensen and 28-year-old Jason Becker, both from Crooked River Ranch. Tuesday afternoon, the crumpled shell of the toyota pickup, was airlifted out of the steep canyon. Since the vehicle was on BLM land and close to an important water way, the Deschutes River, it had to be moved. That responsiblity fell in the hands of Becker's insurance company which hired Prince's Towing of Madras to remove it.
 
 
"We started narrowing it down to that it was pretty much going to be a helicopter recovery," says Jay Krider owner of Prince's Towing.
 
 
Krider called in Columbia Helicopters and its boeing 107 out of Portland. A 200 foot tow line was brought in by truck, and attached to the helicopter bottom, along with a hook, which is used for grabbing the truck. The pilot, Rick Puckett, says an opperation like this, does have challenges.
 
 
"Probably the best challenge will be just trying to get a good bite on it to where it doesn't slip, and try to get it where it rides fairly level." says Puckett.
 
 
Bubble windows on the aircraft's sides allow Puckett to see directly below him. The recovery was successful. Once the truck was on the ground, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies examined the wreckage and took photos, something they couldn't do up close before. It is believed Christensen and Becker were off roading when the terrain became too steep for Becker's truck. The Sheriff's office says the case of the deadly crash remains closed, and that it may never be deterimed if alcohol was a factor. Krider says that the wreckage is unlike any he has seen.
 
 
"It doesn't get any worse than this as far as I'm concerned," says Krider.