Megumi Yamamoto, a UNM graduate student, died in a helicopter crash Tuesday after she was rescued from a hike on Mt. Baldy near Santa Fe.
The helicopter pilot was also killed in the crash.
New Mexico State Police Spokesman Peter Olson said the bodies of Yamamoto and Sgt. Andy Tingwall were recovered from the crash site on Thursday.
President David Schmidly said in a statement that the University is reaching out to Yamomoto's family in Japan.
"The University of New Mexico community is saddened to learn of the death of Megumi Yamamoto, one of our Physics and Astronomy graduate students," Schmidly said. "We are sending condolences to Megumi's family in Japan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and to her many friends here at UNM."
Olson said the bodies are being taken to the Office of the Medical Investigator to determine cause of death.
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"It's pretty clear that the crash was a huge factor in their deaths," Olson said. "And we won't know until OMI has a chance to do their investigation."
Physics and Astronomy Professor Ivan Deutsch, who was Yamamoto's academic advisor, said she was a talented student and he deeply regrets her death.
"We're extremely saddened by this news," he said. "It's a shocking story. It's very, very sad. Our sympathies certainly go out to her family. She was a new and promising young student and we're very sad by the loss."
Deutsch said PandA and the University will soon address the tragedy, and plans for a memorial service have not yet been set.
