Honorees

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Year Honored
2001
Honoree
Alan Larson
Agency
REMSA/Care Flight
Agency City
Reno
Agency State
NV
Last Call
11/27/91
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
"There's just something different about riding a helicopter," he said. "I like riding them because they're more exciting, and you can do much more with them than a plane." Alan Larson put his love of flying to use by saving lives.<br /> <br /> Alan Larson, 44, had been dispatched to respond to a small rural hospital in Bridgeport, California. He was to pilot Care Flight helicopter for transport of a patient who had been involved in a single car accident. The crew departed Bridgeport for the Reno Emergency Medical Center, with patient aboard. Shortly after sending a normal position contact reading, the pilot transmitted a "Mayday" with no further information. The aircraft was found by Mono County Search and Rescue in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with no survivors.<br /> <br /> Alan was employed by Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority and assigned to the Care Flight program in 1985. Prior to joining Care Flight, he had been employed in Oregon as a helicopter logger. Larson had flown helicopters in the military and during the Viet Nam conflict. There he transported the wounded, and delivered medical supplies to hospitals. He spent countless hours providing helicopter training and safety to fire, law enforcement, ambulance, and hospital personnel, to assure a safe environment for those involved in or around helicopter work.<br /> <br /> Mr. Larson had said one of the best things about his job was the constant thrill of knowing he'd saved a life. He was a valued member of the Care Flight team; a great person "who spent his life in service to others."<br /> <br /> Alan Larson is survived by wife Jodee Larson, and daughter April Larson.<br /> <br /> Honored 2001