By Carolyn Reid
The crash of Air Evac LifeTeam 133 that resulted in the loss of all three crew members hit close to home for Pendleton County, especially the first responders who worked with them.
The helicopter, a 34-year-old Bell 206, went down as it was responding to a call to transport a man who had gone into cardiac arrest in Owenton.
According to various news sources, the likely cause of the accident was hitting a guy line off a cell tower as the helicopter flew into the sun approximately 500 feet in the air.
Reports state that the helicopter fell straight down from that height and landed in a wooded area just outside a clearing that could have possibly accommodated a landing, leading to some speculation the craft was attempting an emergency landing.
The man who suffered the cardiac arrest was reported by local news as doing fairly well after being transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Mason Taylor, mayor of Butler and a trained paramedic, expressed shock at the loss, as did all first responders across the region.
Taylor spoke of how the crew had recently stopped by Harrison Memorial to drop off donations to support EMS and ER Nurse Week.
The crew died the first day of that celebration week.
“This incident is the most tragic I have faced as a medic or a mayor,” he said.
Taylor spoke of the crew fondly, echoing many of the statements made to news organizations across the state.
He started with Bethany Aiken, the flight nurse who had been on the crew around six months, according the Louisville Courier-Journal. Aiken was from Louisville.
Taylor acknowledged he did not know Aiken well due to her short time on the job, but his first impressions were apparently a credit to her.
“She was nothing below par; she was excellent at her job. On top of that, she was genuine. She lit up any room she walked into.”
Aiken was 40 years old.
Taylor expressed his confidence in the paramedic on board the flight. He had known James Welsh fairly well.
“He was an intelligent medic,” Taylor said. “He was one who could ease the tension in stressful situations.”
While humor often played into that relief, Taylor was sure to credit him about his professionalism.
“He was serious about his job. He cared, and those of us on the ambulance would be refreshed when we saw his face and smile.
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