On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff until sunset Saturday evening, in honor of an Air Evac crew killed on Monday in a crash in Owenton.
The Air Evac Lifeteam crew included 66-year-old pilot Gale “Butch” Alleman Jr., 40-year-old flight nurse Bethany Aicken, and 29-year-old flight paramedic James Welsh. According to a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, the medical crew was en route to pick up a patient when their helicopter collided with a guy wire and crashed. Tragically, all three crew members, who were based in Grant County, lost their lives in the accident
According to the Governor’s office, a funeral ceremony for Welsh was held Saturday morning at Immanuel Baptist Church in Cold Springs. A memorial service for Aicken is scheduled for Saturday evening at Hardy Funeral Home in Louisville. Services for Alleman will be conducted at a later date in his home state of Michigan.
Governor Beshear encourages all individuals, businesses, organizations, and government agencies to join in this tribute.
