Hundreds Turn Out At Candlelight Vigil In Memory Of Jim Spruiell

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Hundreds of friends and co workers turn out to honor the longtime chief flight nurse at NMMC who died in a helicopter crash this weekend.

The impromptu candlelight vigil was held near the helipad at NMMC in Tupelo.   Jim Spruiell was working with Pafford Air One Sunday evening, when his chopper crashed in eastern Arkansas.

Spruiell, along with two other crew members died.  No patients were on board.  During the brief candlelight vigil, several people spoke about Spruiell’s character and role as a mentor and leader.

“Jim had a calling, clearly something he enjoyed, was passionate about, I’ve heard multiple stories about how Jim would spend his downtime continuously reading and learning,” said David Wilson, President of NMMC.

“This is really just a small sampling of people he touched and the lives he affected and all in a good way, he was a very special man and we lost a good friend,” said Wayne Wade, a Care Flight Pilot who flew with Spruiell the past five years.

Spruiell was on a temporary assignment for Pafford.  He was a leader in training efforts for first responders across the region who worked trauma scenes with medical helicopters.