Lloyd Kolbe's Helicopter Found In Baja California

Fourteen years ago Lloyd Kolbe, a respected and well-known Texas wildlife specialist, took off from a campsite on the Gulf of California headed towards the inland mountains of Baja California. He and two Mexican government officials were flying in his Hiller 12E helicopter (file photo of type, below) -- and they weren't seen or heard from again.

Finally, Kolbe's family may have the clues they need to find out just what happened that day. Kolbe's helicopter has been found with some human remains nearby.

Kolbe's son Darren, 45, told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “It's been a very heavy burden to bear. Hopefully we have found his remains -– that's our biggest hope.”

Kolbe, 51 at the time, had contracted with the Mexican government to survey the bighorn sheep population of Baja California. His family and authorities have been left to wonder all these years if Kolbe and his passengers were the victims of an accident, or perhaps had ran afoul of smugglers or poachers.

The wreckage of the helicopter, which apparently landed upright but caught fire, is some 30 miles southeast of San Luis Gonzaga Bay. Ranchers, riding a trail a few miles inland while looking for lost cattle, found the crash site with human remains, and informed local authorities.

The Mexican government sent a team of investigators and announced the discovery Tuesday.

According to Francisco Javier Alcázar Jiménez, head of the Attorney General's Office in Ensenada, a skull was found about 20 feet from the aircraft, and fragments of another skull were found inside. He said the skull had a perforation, “but we can't say it is a bullet," adding that other pieces -- a jaw bone, molars, two thigh bones -- were also scattered about.

Some personal effects found at the scene -- Ray-ban sunglasses and a pair of small binoculars -- are similar to those used by Kolbe on his expeditions. 

“It may be that they landed extremely hard, and everybody perished,” Darren Kolbe said. “But then again, what if somebody survived it, had malicious intentions, and the helicopter was burned on purpose? Maybe somebody was shot on purpose. Something that involves someone important to you, you don't want to leave a stone unturned.”

FMI: http//tijuana.usconsulate.gov/