Memorial service held for helicopter crash victims

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Family, friends and a community of rescuers gathered to mourn the loss of pilot Marcus Gann and flight nurse Adam Russell.

A memorial service was held for the two fallen crew members of the tragic helicopter crash in Shelby County.

Together, these two men impacted thousands of lives.

Marc Gann completed more than 2,000 transports and Adam Russell completed more than 1,000.

Adam Russell began his service as a fireman in 1999 to then become a paramedic in 2003 and flight nurse with Air Methods in 2009.

Many of his friends and co-workers describe him as a man of faith, humor and selflessness.

Marcus Gann, an accomplished pilot, started flying in 1984 for the Army. He finished in 2003 and after retiring joined the Air Methods family in 2011.

Air Methods CEO Jaelynn Williams said many of his friends and co-workers describe him as a leader who put in the work to make his team better every day.

“Marc and Adam would reach for their helmets, do the necessary pre-flight checks and quickly respond to the call for help,” Williams said. “They didn’t know who needed help and, in most cases, they didn’t know the people they served, theirs was selfless service.”

Mike Cathers, a friend and co-worker to both men, shared a few stories of his time with Russell and Gann.

One story in particular, Cathers wanted to share a time where Marc Gann was impacted by someone he saved.

One day, they got a call to respond to a wreck where a 16-year-old girl was suffering significant injuries. They did their job and got her to safety.

“God bless her, but the young lady reaches out to Marc, and he attended her high school graduation, her wedding and she brought her first born child by the base on her way home so Marc could see him,” Cathers said. “The impact that had on him can’t be measured.”

Marc and Adam chose a profession of commitment, sacrifice and service.

A shared calling to help people.

Both men were just doing what they love, bringing calm to someone else’s chaos.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved.