Thank You For Assistance With Search And Rescue Efforts

On Jan. 5, a tragic event occurred when James Archer of Wren died in the crash of NMMC's aeromedical helicopter. Our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Archer's family and friends and all North Mississippi Medical Center and AirMethods employees. This service, which had logged more than 7,300 flights in its 18 years without an accident, has touched the lives of many people throughout the region.

The helicopter, staffed by a pilot and two flight crew members, had been dispatched to respond to an emergency call that evening following a one-vehicle accident on County Road 564 near Falkner in Tippah County. After encountering a problem with the front of the aircraft, in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, a mechanic was dispatched to the accident scene to repair the helicopter. A temporary repair was made to the chin bubble. The problem that was corrected was not one that would compromise the structural or mechanical performance of the helicopter.

The two flight crew members and accident victim were transported by ambulance to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, and the repaired helicopter lifted off to return to Tupelo at 11:03 p.m. The helicopter went down during the flight.

The response during the early morning hours of Jan. 6 by various agencies and entities who worked together in a search and rescue effort to locate Mr. Archer and the helicopter is highly commendable. All parties worked together in a timely and well organized effort. Their responsiveness and efficiency in locating the missing aircraft was very impressive.

Our sincerest appreciation is expressed to all these individuals. The search and rescue command post was headquartered at the Falkner Fire Department, under the direction of Fire Chief Petie Rutherford. In addition, the fire departments from Ashland, Dry Creek, Dumas, Mitchell, Ripley and Spout Springs participated in this effort.

Special thanks are also extended to the representatives with AirMethods, the Alcorn, Benton, Lee, Prentiss and Tippah County Sheriff's Departments, Civil Air Patrol, Greenwood Flight Service, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Tippah County Coroner's Office, Tippah County Ambulance Service, Tippah Emergency Management Agency and Tippah E-STAR (Emergency Search Teams and Rescue). Also, the actions of the on-duty and off-duty NMMC personnel who went to the accident scene and NMMC's Emergency Response Center to assist with search and recovery efforts are greatly appreciated.

We also extend our gratitude to Phyllis Motes, the 911 dispatcher, who served as NMMC's dispatcher, and ambulance personnel from NMMC-Eupora, Iuka and Pontotoc and on-call staff from Tupelo who provided coverage to enable the on-duty ambulance crew to attend Mr. Archer's funeral on Jan. 9.

Words of thanks are also extended to Baptist Memorial Hospital - Union County Ambulance Service from New Albany and American Medical Response from Gulfport for their participation in the funeral procession. Also, thanks to NMMC's Honor Guard for the services they provided.

In emotionally charged situations, it is not uncommon for someone's good deeds to go unrecognized. We have made our best effort to recognize those who came to our assistance. We apologize if we inadvertently omitted any individuals or agencies that assisted with the search and rescue efforts.

NMMC reinstated its aeromedical service on Jan. 13. Mr. Archer's contributions throughout his 17½ years of service here will not be forgotten. We are currently working toward a memorial that will celebrate his invaluable service. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and others whose lives were touched by him.

January 23, 2005