| Year Honored | |
|---|---|
| 2007 | |
| Honoree | |
| Lois Reiko Suzuki | |
| Agency | |
| Airlift Northwest | |
| Agency City | |
| Seattle | |
| Agency State | |
| WA | |
| Last Call | |
| 9/29/05 | |
| Cause of Death | |
| Medical Aviation Accident | |
| Biography | |
| Lois was a highly skilled Pediatric ICU nurse with organizational abilities respected by her co-workers. Her devotion was working with children. She was relentless in perfecting her Spanish with ongoing lessons in order to communicate with anxious Spanish speaking parents. Recently, she spent a month living with a family in Peru for an intense course in Spanish. Many of her vacation days were spent in Nicaragua and Columbia as a volunteer nurse.<br /> <br /> Lois Reiko Suzuki, 47, of Seattle, Washington, was killed when the medical helicopter she was on crashed into the cold waters of Puget Sound on September 29, 2005. Ms. Suzuki was a flight nurse aboard the helicopter that had flown a critically ill patient from a hospital in Arlington to Harborview Medical Center. The accident occurred as the helicopter was returning to the base at Arlington Municipal Airport. Weather conditions were drizzly and a new flight plan was filed. Radar data show the helicopter departed, proceeded over the water, followed the coastline, and then appeared to go west at which time it dropped from the radar screen. A number of eyewitnesses heard a low-flying helicopter and then an explosion. Later, debris was found floating in the water; all aboard lost their lives.<br /> <br /> Lois was with Airlift Northwest since 1998 as a Pediatric flight nurse. Being an Airlift Nurse was the greatest adventure in her life. Previously, she spent many years as a Traveling Nurse at major hospitals in California, Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado and Washington. Her laughter and smiles are well remembered by the Airlift staff and friends.<br /> <br /> She loved the outdoors hiking, backpacking, river rafting and skiing. Small as she was in stature, others were challenged to keep up with her. Keeping fit for her job was very important to her.<br /> <br /> Honored 2007 |
The United States Official National EMS Memorial Service
