| Year Honored | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | |
| Honoree | |
| Joan F. Brown | |
| Agency | |
| Air Care Helicopter/Good Samaritan Hospital | |
| Agency City | |
| Kearney | |
| Agency State | |
| Nebraska | |
| Last Call | |
| 12/20/1985 | |
| Cause of Death | |
| Medical Aviation Accident | |
| Biography | |
| The December 20, 1985 flight on the Air Care helicopter was Joan's first and last flight with the emergency medical air transport service.She had volunteered to go along on the flight as an extra pair of hands, and had worked as a full-time intensive care nurse at Good Samaritan for four months.Joan was 28 years old when she died during the crash of the helicopter en route to Ainsworth to transfer an eight-year-old child injured in a sledding accident to an Omaha hospital.The helicopter never arrived in Ainsworth, but went down approximately 15 minutes before its estimated time of arrival. No distress signal was issued, and the local sheriff's department began trying to contact the helicopter after it was 15 minutes overdue.A search by local authorities and volunteers was immediately started. Unfortunately, the wreckage of the helicopter was reported shortly before midnight, but could not be confirmed until the next morning.At the time of the accident a freezing rain was reported and several inches of snow covered the ground.Leon Brown, Joan's husband, said his wife had wanted to be a nurse since elementary school and loved the challenge of nursing. Joan was 22 credit hours away from a nursing teaching degree.In addition to her husband, Joan was survived by two daughters, Deeann and Kerri, and her parents, Frank and Margaret Fuss. Joan was a dedicated professional who enjoyed her work helping others.Honored 1996 |
The United States Official National EMS Memorial Service
