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Duke honors Life Flight crew, patient killed in crash

Three Duke Life Flight crew members and their patient were remembered as Good Samaritans and great people on Wednesday, almost two weeks after they died when a medical helicopter crashed in northeast North Carolina.

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DURHAM, N.C. — Three Duke Life Flight crew members and their patient were remembered as Good Samaritans and great people on Wednesday, almost two weeks after they died when a medical helicopter crashed in northeast North Carolina.

The Life Flight helicopter was en route to Duke University Hospital from Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City on Sept. 8 when it went down in a grassy field outside the town of Belvidere, south of the Perquimans-Gates county line, officials said.

Pilot Jeff Burke, flight nurses Kris Harrison and Crystal Sollinger and patient Mary Bartlett were killed.

"We know we have lost four Good Samaritans," Dr. Eugene Washington, Duke University chancellor for health affairs, said during a memorial service at Duke Chapel. "We also have lost four great individuals."

Hundreds of first responders in uniform joined the families, friends and colleagues of the victims for the hour-long memorial, which was followed by a flyover of Duke Chapel involving several helicopters.

"They're all what I call high-end outliers. They're special," added Dr. Greg Georgiade, medical director for Life Flight. "They're the best of the best."

Duke University Hospital President Kevin Sowers shared stories showing the dedication of each of the four who died – Bartlett was a retired nurse – and how each impacted so many lives.

"If we were to combine the number of patients whose lives each of them touched throughout their careers, we would fill this chapel at least 60 times over," Sowers said.

Harrison, 44, was a Wayne County native who graduated from North Carolina State University and earned his nursing degree from Wake Technical Community College. He was known for his ability to out-eat anyone, to train others and to tackle any challenge, including many outdoors adventures.

"Kris made a lasting impact within our Life Flight team and on the many lives he touched and saved," Sowers said.

Sollinger, 47, was a Garner High School graduate known for her positive disposition and her tenacious efforts to save patients, including a 3-year-old girl who coded several times in transit to Duke Hospital as a baby.

"Crystal had a genuine gift of being able to make everyone feel like they were the most special person in the room," Sowers said. "She was the embodiment of the ideal nurse: knowledgeable, compassionate and dedicated."

Burke, 51, was an Air Force and Army veteran who served in Bosnia and Iraq, among other deployments in a 24-year military career. He had spent the last decade flying Life Flight helicopters.

Sowers said Burke connected with Bartlett and her family before the fateful flight by sharing stories of their faith. Bartlett, 70, was known for having a big heart and a big personality, Sowers said.

"The family feels like our crew members were angels that came to escort their wife and mother to heaven. They have said to us, 'It was a noble sacrifice,'" Sowers said as he choked back tears.

Duke University President Vincent Price challenged those in attendance to continue giving meaning to the lives of the four victims.

"In the life of this university, there is no greater time of suffering, no tragedy more deeply felt than the loss of a colleague in service to Duke and to our neighbors," Price said. "Let us come together in admiration of the sense of duty demonstrated by the Life Flight team. ... Let us recommit to serving our community in the noble example of those we have lost."

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board haven't yet determined the cause of the crash, but a preliminary report issued Tuesday suggested the aircraft's engine seized up. Final findings aren't expected for months.

Duke Hospital grounded its remaining Life Flight helicopter after the crash, the aircraft was to stage some "confidence flights" starting Thursday and begin transporting patients again by next Monday.

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