Summit County honors fallen wildfire helicopter pilot Ryan Cutter as procession comes home to Summit Park
Park City Fire District flew the American flag over I-80 as neighbors, friends and first responders lined the route from Heber Airport to Cutter's neighborhood
SUMMIT PARK, Utah — Neighbors, friends, emergency responders and community members lined the route Tuesday as a procession carried helicopter pilot Ryan Cutter from Heber Airport through Summit County and home to Summit Park, nine days after he was killed fighting the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park.
View this post on Instagram
Park City Fire District crews flew an American flag from a ladder truck over Interstate 80 at Kimball Junction as the procession passed, and traffic was held on the interstate while it moved through. The procession followed a dignified transfer at Heber Airport around 12:45 p.m., traveled through Heber City and along U.S. 40, and reached the Summit Park exit early Tuesday afternoon before ending in Summit Park.
Cutter, 46, and fellow pilot Greg King died Sept. 20 when their Super Puma helicopter crashed near Ostrander Lake while conducting water drops on the Dome Fire. Both flew for Precision under an exclusive-use contract with the Payette National Forest and were assigned to the Price Valley Rappel Crew out of New Meadows, Idaho.
King was brought home to Palmer, Alaska, Tuesday with a separate honor procession.
The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and partner agencies coordinated the transfer. Utah Fire Info called Cutter “a valued member of the northern Utah and wildland fire community.”
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. A GoFundMe campaign supporting Cutter’s wife, Nina, remains active.
4251 E Lipizzan Jump
Moab, UT 84532
