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Sacramento County Sheriff's Office marks 20 years since fatal helicopter crash at Lake Natoma

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Sunday marked 20 years since two Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies died in a helicopter crash, and the Sheriff's Office marked the tragedy with a new video featuring the deputy who survived recalling the incident.

On July 13, 2005, Deputies Kevin Blount, Joseph Kievernagel, and Eric Henrikson were in the Star 6 helicopter during routine patrol when it crashed at Lake Natoma after developing engine trouble. The Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported the pilot steered the descending helicopter away from the crowded lake area before it crashed into a hillside and tumbled down.

Kievernagel, a 17-year veteran of the Sheriff's department, and Blount, a seven-year veteran, were killed instantly. Henrikson, a helicopter unit trainee and seven-year veteran, was critically injured with several broken bones and head trauma. His injuries forced him to retire from the department.

On Sunday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released a video on social media in which Henrikson recalled what he could about the crash, although he said to this day he has no memory of the actual incident.

"After I came out of the coma, I couldn't remember anything," Henrikson says in the video. "I don't remember anything. I don't remember Mercy San Juan Hospital, the trauma center that saved my life."

On July 13, 2005, tragedy struck when Star 6, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, crashed during a routine patrol. Deputies Kevin Blount and Joseph Kievernagel lost their lives that day. Deputy Eric Henrikson was critically injured. It was a heartbreaking day that shook the entire Sacramento community. Kevin and Joe weren’t just Deputies—they were sons, friends, teammates, and heroes who dedicated their lives to keeping others safe. Twenty years have passed, but the memory of that day—and the lives we lost—are still deeply felt. Their courage, their service, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Star 6 Foundation was created to honor Kevin and Joe and to carry forward their spirit of service. Every day, the foundation works to support law enforcement families and keep their memory alive in our community. To learn more or donate, please visit www.https://www.star6.org/donate-today/ We remember. We honor. We continue—because they would have.

Posted by on Sunday, July 13, 2025

Henrikson said his first memory after the crash was waking up at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. He remembered his mother telling him he was in a helicopter crash.

"And then I thought about Kevin. Because I pretty much always flew with Kevin," said Henrikson. "My mom told me that Kevin had died in the crash. So, I'm just laying there and I think, 'Well, wait a second, what about who was flying, what about Joe?' My mom told me that Joe had died, too. I'm laying here in here bed, but they're gone, and I felt this weight. It was, just, obviously a huge situation."

Henrikson added that his goal in life is to make sure that Blount and Kievernagel, and their sacrifice, are not forgotten.

Following the crash, the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs' Association created the in the deputies' honor, after seeing the need for financial assistance and counseling for the victims' families and fellow deputies. 

To learn more or donate, visit .

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