HASTINGS, Neb. — A 34-year-old medical helicopter pilot died Saturday in a one-car rollover crash.
Omaha.com reported that Richard Forrester, a pilot with Midwest Medair, was pronounced dead at the scene. A male passenger was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.
“Richard was a great friend to all who knew him,” Midwest Medair wrote on their Facebook page. “Richard leaves behind a family and countless friends in Arizona and Nebraska. We will miss him greatly.”
Forrester, who began working for Midwest Medair almost two years ago, was wearing a seat belt and the Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the crash.
“I was just talking to Richard on Friday and he thanked me again for hiring him,” Steve Gardiner, the company’s director of operations, said. “He said, ‘This is a job I love,’ and he wasn’t talking about flying a helicopter. He was just a great guy and everywhere he went he made a friend.”