Wednesday a public memorial was held for the 3 men - Jim Saler(combat decorated pilot),Scott Hyslop(paramedic), and Bill "Pod" Podmeyer(flight nurse) at the high School stadium. In addition to hundreds of local people fire fighters, paramedics, and medical people from around the state were in attendence. After wards was a service for Pod at the gazebo down by the river. About 300 people there.
It was amazing. Person after person got up and told hilarious stories of Pod in the intensive care unit , at the ski area, in the air. Speakers included: doctors, nurses, paramedics, sheriff's deputies, little kids, neighbors and former patients.
One particualarly funny antecdote was from a Deputy Sheriff that went like this: Running into Pod on line at the grocery store Pod leans over to the deputy and whispers- That old man over there just shop lifted something.
The elder gent was Pod's dad unbeknownst to the deputy.
Mid way through the gathering a Big Red Medivac chopper swooped over on the way to pick up some one in need. Quite poignant.
At the end of the gathering every one sang a version of Bob Marley's Buffalo soldier- Pod was known for his off key renditions.
What a huge hole is left here. I was so happy to have been aquainted with him and so sad for him to be gone and that I didn't know him better At all of these memorials I was struck by how many of the Rescue workers and Hospitol I know personally and how lucky we are to have the quality individuals staffing our ems services Preliminary evidence suggests that it could have been a mechanical that brought them down. It might take the investigation a year to wrap.
Sorry to bring any one down but I guess knowing that if I evr make a mistake that these guys are there for me.
