Honorees

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Year Honored
1997
Honoree
Lyn Gould
Agency
Heartflite
Agency City
Spokane
Agency State
WA
Last Call
8/27/89
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
Lyn Gould, 31, was described by the director of flight operations for Heartflite as a "hysterically funny" perfectionist who took her job seriously. "She was a real problem solver," Jean Bening, the director, said."She could walk into a room and whip things into shape." So concerned that nothing would go wrong, registered nurse Lyn Gould sometimes took four intravenous fluid pumps on the helicopter instead of the usual two...just in case of breakdowns. Unfortunately, the extra fluid pumps were no help when the Heartflite helicopter she was on went down August 27, 1989. There were no survivors.<br /> <br /> With Lyn on the medical transport were her friends and co-workers, Pat Varea, as pilot, and respiratory therapist, Bob Siekerman. Also killed was Robert Adams, a 25-year-old felony fugitive who had been wounded in a shooting.<br /> <br /> Ironically, Pat Varea and Lyn's husband, Tom, had been sharing dinner together when the emergency call came for a Heartflite pilot. Lyn was already at work at Sacred Heart Hospital. Tom and Pat were both Heartflite pilots, team members that absolutely loved their jobs and were extremely dedicated, professional pilots. Since the meal had been prepared at the Gould home, Pat offered to pilot the helicopter, "to get out of doing the dishes." Laughingly accepting the offer, Tom Gould had no idea it would be the last time he would see his best friend or talk to his wife.<br /> <br /> Within a few hours from takeoff, Varea's helicopter was reported missing. The scattered remains were found the next morning. All on board had perished.<br /> <br /> Honored 1997