Family, friends, co-workers remember pilot who died in crash

By Kurt Knapek
TheSunNews.Com

Family, friends and co-workers from across the Grand Strand attended a memorial service Wednesday for a Murrells Inlet man who died when the medical helicopter he piloting crashed last weekend in Georgetown County, killing all three on board.

Nearly 150 people attended the service for Patrick Walters, 45, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Walters and a Carolina Lifecare medic and flight nurse were killed in Friday night’s crash.

Nearly 50 emergency personnel from Horry and Georgetown counties paid their respects to Walters during the one-hour memorial.

“It’s a brotherhood and that’s one of our brothers,” said Ed Vaitis, a medic from North Myrtle Beach Rescue. “It’s just tragic.”

Carolina Lifecare often works with local rescue officials to transport patients in need of urgent care to hospitals in Charleston and New Hanover, N.C. Several Lifecare employees were dressed in uniform for the service. 

Many of the same first responders are expected attend a service today for flight medic Randolph Dove, 39, at Sandy Grove Baptist Church in Bladenboro, N.C. No services have been requested for flight nurse, Dianna Conner, 42, of Florence .

A public memorial service will be held Sunday for the three crew members who were killed at 11:30 p.m. Friday when their helicopter crashed about a mile from the Georgetown County Airport.

The service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Coastal Carolina University’s Brooks Stadium in Conway .

The three died in the crash after they delivered a patient to a Charleston hospital and were returning to Conway.

Vaitis said he met Walters during a training session regarding landing zone procedures and worked with him at a few emergency scenes.

“He was an exceptional pilot … the best of the best,” Vaitis said. “It’s such a sad thing.”

Vaitis said “there were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears” during Thursday’s ceremony.

“It’s sad when they are so young,” Vaitis said. “It was good to see the outpouring of support from the first responders and the community. It was uplifting.”

A member of the Company C, 4th Landing Support Battalion, Charleston, gave Walters’ family members the American flag that covered his casket in a short ceremony after the memorial.

Walters was a former Marine pilot.