Honorees

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Year Honored
2006
Honoree
James Philip Saler
Agency
TriState CareFlight
Agency City
Durango
Agency State
CO
Last Call
6/30/05
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
"Remember your life well lived. Remember you are never forgotten. You're my hero, forever to live in my heart. I want you to know that I will sing for you. No one will ever take your place." These are words from a poem written by the daughter of a fallen flight paramedic.<br /> <br /> Jim Saler, 40, lost his life in an aero medical accident on June 30, 2005. He was the pilot of a three-man medical team en route to meet an ambulance at a landing zone. They were to transfer an injured logger who had been working in a rough wooded area.<br /> <br /> Mr. Saler, of Durango, Colorado, was a pilot and flight paramedic for TriState CareFlight. He was retired from the U. S. Army and a decorated war veteran who worked in the infantry for10 years. He moved from serving in the infantry to performing 10 years of active duty flying a Blackhawk medevac helicopter.<br /> <br /> "This is a tragic loss to CareFlight as these three gentlemen were not only some of the best flight paramedics in the field, but were loving fathers, husbands, and community leaders," stated friend Dr. Jerome Buckley.<br /> <br /> Honored 2006