A pilot died on Sunday when his helicopter crashed as he fought wildfires in Colorado, according to local authorities.

The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) said on Facebook the pilot, 56-year-old Nicholas Dale, died after his K-MAX helicopter, manufactured by Kaman Aircraft, crashed into Silver Jack Reservoir at roughly 5:17 p.m. MDT.

The reservoir is tucked into a high mountain valley and is surrounded by the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Dale, a native of Sooke, British Columbia, was “engaged in wildfire suppression efforts” amid the Gold Mountain Fire, which began on June 27. The fire has burned more than 36,200 acres near Ouray, Colo., and is 11 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service’s InciWeb risk management system.

Later Sunday evening, the dive team from the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office recovered Dale’s body from the submerged helicopter and transferred it to the Gunnison County Coroner’s Office, according to GCSO.

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