One of three U.S. firefighters killed in Australia from Arizona

Paul Hudson, 42.
Paul Hudson, 42.(Source: Coulson Aviation via AZ Family)
Published: Jan. 23, 2020 at 7:09 PM MST
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BUCKEYE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - The identities of the three American firefighters killed in the air tanker crash in Australia have been released and one of them was from Arizona.

First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson was 42 and lived in Buckeye. He is survived by his wife Noreen. Hudson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and spent the next 20 years serving in the United States Marine Corps in a number of positions, including a C-130 pilot, according to a news release from Coulson Aviation.

A C-130 Hercules crashed while fighting the fires in New South Wales in southern Australia on Wednesday. The crew was on a firebombing mission when the plane went down, Coulson Aviation said.

[READ MORE: Three Americans dead after firefighting water bomber crashes in rural Australia]

The other two firefighters have been identified as Capt. Ian H. McBeth from Great Falls Montana and Flight Engineer Rick. DeMorgan Jr. from Navarre, Florida.

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