By EMS1 Staff
TUCSON, Ariz. — More than 1,500 people gathered in Tucson, Ariz., Friday to remember the lives of three crew members killed in an air medical crash.
Pilot Alex Kelley, 61, flight nurse Parker Summons, 41, and paramedic Brenda French, 28, died when the LifeNet helicopter crashed on a Tucson street and burst into flames on July 28.
Representatives of more than 20 local, state and federal agencies attended the service Friday, which included the posting of colors and flag presentations by multiple honor guards, and a flyby with eight helicopters, according to The Arizona Daily Star.
“Our loss of these friends who placed such a high value on the lives of others is a testimony to the reality that human life is special,” Dr. Dan Spaite, former LifeNet medical director, told the service at the Calvary Chapel.
Douglas Mayor Dr. Michael Gomez said the three fallen responders, “Saved so many lives in southeastern Arizona that we will be forever grateful.”
A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board into the crash revealed it fell 600 feet in eight seconds before it hit the ground.
Witnesses told investigators the helicopter made some unusual sounds, including rapid intermittent popping noises.
The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the crash.