A Times Editorial

A selfless sacrifice

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 27, 2000

There is a pause in our world when the people who save lives lose theirs doing heroic jobs. Nurse Alicia Betita-Collins, medic Erik Hangartner and pilot Mark Wallace, the crew of the Bayflite medical helicopter that crashed Tuesday, killing all three, were skilled and dedicated professionals who leave behind not only family and friends but countless others whose lives were saved because of the courageous work air medical crews perform every day.

Federal authorities will investigate why the helicopter crashed on the western side of the Gandy Bridge, while returning to Tampa after rushing a trauma patient to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. For now, it's enough to sympathize with family members, friends and colleagues and to remember that their loss is the entire community's.

With hospitals making news with political battles on both sides of Tampa Bay, it is easy to forget the names and faces of the people whose devotion to their work often makes the difference between life and death. Few of us are so selfless in our daily work. St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where the helicopter was based, is raising money for the victims' families. A donation would tell them this community doesn't take their loss for granted.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.