Flight nurse killed in helicopter crash remembered for having a 'heart of gold'

1 year ago 48

WELL, BRITTANY, YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO KNOW ADAM RUSSELL TO UNDERSTAND HE IS LOVED BY SO MANY PEOPLE. SO TO SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PACKING THIS PARKING LOT HERE AT THIS CHURCH TO ATTEND THE SERVICE AND THEN LINE UP TO BE A PART OF THE VIEWING THAT WAS EARLIER TODAY. IT WAS EMOTIONALLY OVERWHELMING. CONNOR SPIVEY IS STILL SHOCKED TO STEP UNCLE SAMUEL. ADAM RUSSELL IS GONE. HIS WIFE IS. SHE’S STILL BEING STRONG. IS HIS SON IN THERE? HE’S HE’S DOING HE’S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DOING THE BEST HE CAN. THE FLIGHT NURSE WAS ONE OF THE THREE CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD. SYLACAUGA LIFESAVER FOUR MEDICAL HELICOPTER LAST SUNDAY WHEN IT CRASHED OFF HIGHWAY 280 IN CHELSEA. THE TEAM WAS ON THEIR WAY TO NORTHERN SHELBY COUNTY TO HELP A HIKER IN DISTRESS. WHEN THE CHOPPER WENT DOWN, RUSSELL’S OBITUARY SAYS HE PRAYED WITH THE PEOPLE HE HELPED RESCUE. HE HE LOVED PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, HE PRAYED ON THE PEOPLE BEFORE. TODAY, HUNDREDS CAME OUT TO SHOW RUSSELL THEY LOVE HIM. INCLUDING FIRST RESPONDERS FROM ALL OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA WHO FOLLOWED BEHIND THE 43 YEAR OLD’S CASKET. PAULA HILL KNOWS RUSSELL’S FATHER KIND OF SOMBER. IT WAS I MEAN, YOU COULD SEE A LOT OF MAN UP THAT HAD TEARS IN THEIR EYES. SHE AND LORETTA ACTUALLY KNEW HIM AS A YOUNG BOY, ACTUALLY REMEMBERS A FUNNY STORY ABOUT RUSSELL’S CAT. HE CAME IN AND TOLD HIS MOM THAT HIS CAT WAS GREAT AND SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHY. AND HE HAD DIPPED IT IN A BUCKET OF GRAPES TO OH, THAT WAS THAT’S SOME FUN MEMORIES THAT TO LOOK BACK ON. MEMORIES. SPY VIEW WILL LOOK BACK ON REMEMBERING THE KIND OF MAN HIS STEP UNCLE WAS. HE WAS JUST A CARE, YOU KNOW. HE JUST A GREAT GUY AND JUST SOMEONE WHO JUST HAD A HEART OF GOLD. THERE’S NO DOUBT WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW. A MEMORIAL SERVICE IS SET FOR TOMORROW FOR BOTH RUSSELL AND MARK. MARK NETT AGAIN. RATHER, HE IS THE PILOT THAT WAS ON THAT HELICOPTER. SO THAT IS HAPPENING TOMORROW AT SYLACAUGA HIGH SCHOOL. THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MORGAN IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY. AS FOR THE THIRD PERSON WHO WAS ON THAT HELICOPTER, SHE IS RECOVERING FROM HER INJURIES. THE NTSB IS INVESTIGATING THIS CRASH AND WE’RE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED IT. WE’RE LIVE

Samuel Adam Russell, 43, and Marc Gann were killed enroute to help a hiker in Shelby County

Connor Spivey is still shocked his step-uncle Samuel Adam Russell is gone.“His wife, she's still being strong. Is his son, in there, he's doing he's trying to, you know, doing the best he can.” Spivey said.The flight nurse was one of the three crew members onboard Sylacauga’s Lifesaver 4 Medical helicopter last Sunday when it crashed off Highway 280 in Chelsea.The team was on their way to northern Shelby County to help a hiker in distress when the chopper went down.Russell's obituary says he prayed with the people he helped rescue.“He loved people, you know? He prayed on the people before,” Spivey said.Today, hundreds came out to show Russell, they love him, including first responders from all over central Alabama who followed behind the 43-year-old's casket. Paula Hill knows Russell’s father.“Kind of somber, it was, I mean, you could see a lot of men firefighters had tears in their eyes,” Hill said.She and Loretta Acklin knew him as a young boy. Acklin remembers a funny story about Russell’s yellow cat.“He came in and told his mama that his cat was gray, and she wanted to know why. And he had dipped it in a bucket of gray paint. Oh, that was that's some fun memories to look back on,” Acklin said.Memories Spivey will look back on remembering the kind of man his step-uncle was.“He was just a care, you know, he's just a great guy and just someone who just had a heart of gold. There's no doubt where he is right now,” Spivey said.A memorial service is set for tomorrow at Sylacauga High School to honor Russell and pilot Marc Gann. Gann's funeral will be held Wednesday. The third surviving crew member is recovering from her injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. We're still waiting to hear what caused it.

SYLACAUGA, Ala. —

Connor Spivey is still shocked his step-uncle Samuel Adam Russell is gone.

“His wife, she's still being strong. Is his son, in there, he's doing he's trying to, you know, doing the best he can.” Spivey said.

The flight nurse was one of the three crew members onboard Sylacauga’s Lifesaver 4 Medical helicopter last Sunday when it crashed off Highway 280 in Chelsea.

The team was on their way to northern Shelby County to help a hiker in distress when the chopper went down.

Russell's obituary says he prayed with the people he helped rescue.

“He loved people, you know? He prayed on the people before,” Spivey said.

Today, hundreds came out to show Russell, they love him, including first responders from all over central Alabama who followed behind the 43-year-old's casket. Paula Hill knows Russell’s father.

“Kind of somber, it was, I mean, you could see a lot of men firefighters had tears in their eyes,” Hill said.

She and Loretta Acklin knew him as a young boy. Acklin remembers a funny story about Russell’s yellow cat.

“He came in and told his mama that his cat was gray, and she wanted to know why. And he had dipped it in a bucket of gray paint. Oh, that was that's some fun memories to look back on,” Acklin said.

Memories Spivey will look back on remembering the kind of man his step-uncle was.

“He was just a care, you know, he's just a great guy and just someone who just had a heart of gold. There's no doubt where he is right now,” Spivey said.

A memorial service is set for tomorrow at Sylacauga High School to honor Russell and pilot Marc Gann. Gann's funeral will be held Wednesday. The third surviving crew member is recovering from her injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. We're still waiting to hear what caused it.

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