(WREG-TV) Three people were killed Tuesday when a Hospital Wing helicopter crashed while on its way to pick up a patient.
The helicopter was headed from Memphis to Bolivar, TN to pick up a juvenile patient and bring him to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
The cause of the crash is not clear.
Killed in the crash were Le Bonheur nurses Carrie Barlow and Denise Adams, as well as Hospital Wing pilot Charles Smith.
The following information was provided by LeBonheur:
Carrie Barlow, a 43-year-old nurse on Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s Pedi-Flite team, began her career at Le Bonheur in January of 2012. She worked as a nurse in West Tennessee for 13 years. Prior to joining the Le Bonheur team, she served as a neonatal intensive care nurse for Lauderdale Community Hospital in Ripley, Tenn., and Jackson-Madison County General in Jackson, Tenn. Carrie lived in Halls, Tenn., with her husband, Keith, and is the mother to three children.
Denise Adams, a 43-year-old respiratory therapist on Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s Pedi-Flite team, joined Le Bonheur as a respiratory therapist in August of 2003 She joined the Pedi-Flite team in July 2005 and has served the team as a respiratory therapist for the past eight years. Denise lived in Arlington, Tenn., with her husband, Rodney, and is the mother to three children.
Charles Smith, a 47-year-old pilot, began his career at Hospital Wing in 2012. He retired from the aviation unit of the Memphis Police Department in 2012, after 25 years of service. Charles and his wife, Chi, lived in Eads, Tennessee, with their two sons.
All three victims of the crash spent their careers in one of the most noble ways possible — they helped those in the most need of medical attention.
Friends and family of all three victims said they would “give a life to save a life.”
Quoc Pham remembers his brother-in-law, Charles Smith, the hospital wing pilot killed in the helicopter crash in Fayette County Tuesday.
“His two boys miss him right now,” said Pham.
Smith was a former Memphis Police Department pilot with a 9- and 10-year-old son.
“He was just a great guy. He was just a great father and a great husband,” said Smith’s friend, Sheila Mullins.
Carrie Barlow, a Le Bonheur pediatric nurse, was also killed on the flight. Barlow was a mother of three and only 43 years old.
Her friends said Barlow loved to travel and was full of compassion.
“Great mother. All of her kids are in college,” said George Smallwood, who is a friend of Denise Adams.
Adams, the third person killed in the crash, was a respiratory therapist for Le Bonheur.
Her husband was too upset to go on camera, but told News Channel 3 he’s waiting for his three children to get home to start making arrangements.
