SEVEN NEWS. IT’S IT’S HEARTBREAK. ACHING TO KNOW THAT HE DIDN’T MAKE IT. TO KNOW THAT HE WAS TRYING TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE. TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE FIRE. IT’S HARD TO HEAR THAT. POLICE CONFIRMING ANOTHER DEATH FOLLOWING THE SOUTH FORK FIRES. AFTER THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE CONFIRMED THE FIRST FATALITY YESTERDAY. FAITH EGBUONU SPOKE WITH THE VICTIM’S FAMILY. LOVING, CARING. WITH THE HEART OF GOLD. JUST A FEW WORDS TO DESCRIBE PATRICK PEARSON. MY DAD WAS A SIMPLE MAN, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN’T NEED MUCH TO. TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. HIS FAMILY AND LOVED ONES GRAPPLING WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR BELOVED FATHER, FRIEND AND SON. IT’S STILL UNBELIEVABLE THAT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. ALL I KNOW IS THAT MY DAD IS GONE NOW. THE SOUTH FORK FIRE TO BLAME THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE CONFIRMING A DEATH ON TUESDAY. ONCE WE FOUND OUT WHERE THE FIRE WAS AND WHAT DIRECTION IT LOOKED LIKE, IT WAS GOING, MY SISTERS, MY MOM AND I, WE STARTED CONTACTING SHELTERS IN ROSWELL, ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THEM. AND IN CAPITAN AND NOBODY WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS THERE. PEARSON, SON ZACH TELLING US HIS FATHER WAS LIVING AT THE SWISS CHALET INN. HE WAS TRYING TO TO GET AWAY FROM THE FIRE AS FAST AS HE COULD, YOU KNOW, BUT WITH A WITH A BROKEN LEG AND A BRACE, USING A WALKER, TRYING TO CARRY WHAT YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, IT’S. IT’S HEARTBREAKING WHEN THINGS TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORST. IT’S HEARTBREAKING TO KNOW THAT HE DIDN’T MAKE IT TO KNOW THAT HE WAS TRYING TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE, TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE FIRE. THE ROCK THEY ONCE LEANED ON GONE. BUT HIS SOUL LIVES ON THROUGH HIS MUSIC. A MUSICIAN FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS. A BEAUTIFUL VOICE TO REMEMBER. HE’S. HE’S GOT ONE OF THE BEST VOICES NEW MEXICO HAS EVER HEARD. BROADWAY BOULEVARD FAITH EGBUONU KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. TALENTED, TOO. WELL, THE FAMILY TELLS US HE WAS A CALIFORNIA NATIVE BUT RAISED IN THE HEART OF NEW MEXICO AND TO SUPPORT THE EVACUEES DONATIONS AT THE TOP OF MIND. FOR MANY PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING STAFF AT HOME LIFE FURNITURE IN ALBUQUERQUE, THEY NOW SERVE AS A DROP OFF DONATION SITE TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED BY THE FIRES. IT ALL STARTED YESTERDAY. THEY’VE C
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‘He was trying to run for his life’: 60-year-old man dies in New Mexico wildfire
Updated: 5:52 AM EDT Jun 21, 2024
The Pearson family is mourning the loss of their loved one, Patrick Pearson, 60. On Wednesday, Pearson’s son, Zach Pearson, told sister station KOAT the family is heartbroken and in a state of shock. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office confirmed the first death amid the South Fork and Salt Fires on Tuesday, June 18. According to State Police, he was found near the Swiss Chalet Inn in Ruidoso, New Mexico.The family described Pearson as a loving, caring, selfless father, friend and son. “The last time anybody heard from him was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. They were told that he was packed and ready to and go and was waiting for his ride. That ride was unfortunately turned around — was told to turn around by responders at the scene, but he wasn’t able to be picked up,” Pearson said.According to Pearson, family members tried to get in contact with him when they heard of the fires, but to no avail. “Once we found out where the fire was and where the direction it looked like it was going, my sisters, my mom and I— we started contacting shelters in Roswell. Attempting to contact him in Capitan and nobody was able to confirm whether or not he was there. There was no cell service. No way for them to contact him. No way for him to contact them,” Pearson said. “About an hour later, they showed up at my door. I had state police at my door, almost 10 o clock at night, telling me they found my dad and he was gone.” “It’s heartbreaking to know that he didn’t make it. To know that he was trying to run for his life, trying to get away from the fire,” Pearson told KOAT. “He was trying to get away from the fires as fast as he could, but with a broken leg and a brace using a walker, trying to carry what you could.” “It’s still unbelievable that this has happened, that not even the responders were able to go check, to see if there was anybody left, while they were turning people away from driving in that direction,” Pearson said.New Mexico’s beloved musician Pearson’s family told KOAT his father was a beloved musician in New Mexico for more than 35 years. “My dad was a simple man. He didn’t need much to make him happy. He’s got one of the best voices New Mexico has ever heard. They loved how his music brought the bar to life, how he got people out on the dance floor and just his voice. When he sings, you could really feel the emotion,” Pearson told KOAT.
The Pearson family is mourning the loss of their loved one, Patrick Pearson, 60. On Wednesday, Pearson’s son, Zach Pearson, told sister station KOAT the family is heartbroken and in a state of shock. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office confirmed the first death amid the South Fork and Salt Fires on Tuesday, June 18. According to State Police, he was found near the Swiss Chalet Inn in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
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The family described Pearson as a loving, caring, selfless father, friend and son.
“The last time anybody heard from him was about 4 o’clock in the [Monday] afternoon. They were told that he was packed and ready to and go and was waiting for his ride. That ride was unfortunately turned around — was told to turn around by responders at the scene, but he wasn’t able to be picked up,” Pearson said.
According to Pearson, family members tried to get in contact with him [Patrick] when they heard of the fires, but to no avail.
“Once we found out where the fire was and where the direction it looked like it was going, my sisters, my mom and I— we started contacting shelters in Roswell. Attempting to contact him in Capitan and nobody was able to confirm whether or not he was there. There was no cell service. No way for them to contact him. No way for him to contact them,” Pearson said. “About an hour later, they showed up at my door. I had state police at my door, almost 10 o clock at night, telling me they found my dad and he was gone.”
“It’s heartbreaking to know that he didn’t make it. To know that he was trying to run for his life, trying to get away from the fire,” Pearson told KOAT. “He was trying to get away from the fires as fast as he could, but with a broken leg and a brace using a walker, trying to carry what you could.”
“It’s still unbelievable that this has happened, that not even the responders were able to go check, to see if there was anybody left, while they were turning people away from driving in that direction,” Pearson said.
New Mexico’s beloved musician
Pearson’s family told KOAT his father was a beloved musician in New Mexico for more than 35 years.
“My dad was a simple man. He didn’t need much to make him happy. He’s got one of the best voices New Mexico has ever heard. They loved how his music brought the bar to life, how he got people out on the dance floor and just his voice. When he sings, you could really feel the emotion,” Pearson told KOAT.
