Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin opened Wednesday's broadcast of NBC's "Today" show with heavy hearts, paying tribute to two colleagues killed in a fiery helicopter crash in Los Angeles.
NBC Los Angeles reporter Eliana Moreno and NewsChopper 4 pilot George Marciniw died Tuesday evening, September 15, when their helicopter went down in the Chatsworth neighborhood while the pair covered a fatal bus crash for the station's evening news. A third victim, whose identity has not yet been released, also died in the crash, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"It's a sad story this morning," Guthrie told viewers as she and Melvin relayed details before turning to NBC Los Angeles co-anchor Lynette Romero for a tribute to her fallen colleagues.
"We are heartbroken," Romero said through tears. "We're thinking of their families and their friends and their communities."
Moreno, a familiar face to Southern California viewers, had gotten engaged less than a year before her death. Marciniw was a veteran chopper pilot known across the newsroom for his steady hand in high-pressure, breaking-news coverage.
Tributes poured in from journalists nationwide following the news, with many turning to prayer for the families left behind. For NBC's morning show family, the loss was a sobering reminder that even those who chase the news each day are never immune to tragedy - and that faith and community remain a steadying anchor when grief strikes without warning.
Funeral arrangements for Moreno and Marciniw have not yet been announced. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Related article: NBC4 reporter Eliana Moreno dies in fiery helicopter crash less than one year after getting engaged
