On Tuesday afternoon, Nina Pacchia and her husband, Ryan Cutter, a helicopter pilot who died fighting the Dome Fire outside of Yosemite, were finally reunited. Cutter’s body was flown into the Heber Valley Airport and welcomed by his family and a group of his peers. Firefighters from national , state, county and city agencies gathered as the plane landed, followed in by an American flag suspended from a helicopter, the Wasatch Mountains in full autumn glory behind them. Assistant Fire Chief Ashley Lewis said it was hard to describe that moment, Cutter’s return a week after the news of his death reached the Wasatch Back, where he called home. “My heart goes out to Nina and her family. I wish Ryan was getting off that plane, and I’m sure she does, and her family does,” Lewis said. “But then the other feeling that you have is just complete admiration for Ryan’s service, for the community that he was involved with.” To show support to the family, as is common, a procession led Pacchia with Cutter’s body on a route from the Heber Valley back to their Summit Park home. Three Park City Fire District ladder engines were posted along the route, flags raised. “We want(ed) them to know that they aren’t making that final trip home alone. There are firefighters and wildland firefighters, law enforcement officers, neighbors and community all standing alongside them,” said Lewis, who drove a vehicle in the procession. “To drive down into her home and just see her community standing there, supporting her with American flags, that’s a community that I want to be part of.” A cluster of residents gathered at the entrance to the Summit Park neighborhood as a procession for Ryan Cutter escorts his body home. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordSome people brought signs in support of Ryan Cutter’s sacrifice and family. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordLadder engines held up flags along the procession route. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Logan Kesse, wife Katie and daughters Sierra and Livia, who live in Pinebrook, were among the community members standing along the route. The family joined about 40 others at the intersection of Maple Drive and Parkview Drive in Summit Park neighborhood. Logan knew Cutter through their mutual friend, Adam Schwall, one of Cutter’s closest adventure partners. Logan had never joined for the “crazy” trips, like BASE jumping and skydiving around the world, but remembered camping with the pair. Cutter was one of the reasons the Kesses moved to Park City from Florida, Logan said. When he heard about the procession, Logan pulled his kids out of school and made sure to be there. “It’s emotional. It touches people. He died doing what he loved, being a hero,” he said. “Park City’s a small town and he was a big-time skier. He knows everybody.” Also in the crowd was Rick Lynsky, a retired firefighter who’s lived in Park City for 30 years. Lynsky said, unfortunately, with his 30-year career in both structure and wildland fire, this wasn’t the first procession he’s seen. “Obviously when you lose a firefighter, you go out and support them. Support the family,” he said. “It’s not unusual to see this for our firefighters.” Leslie Masters and Bob Martin, holding signs, were among the local residents showing their support to Ryan Cutter’s family following his death while firefighting. The two didn’t know him. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordLeslie Masters, left, and Bob Martin were among the local residents showing their support to Ryan Cutter’s family following his death while firefighting. The two didn’t know him. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Lewis said that’s what he’s seen in his years of service, including the Wasatch Back. “The bond that we have within the fire service when something like this happens — agencies, patches, jurisdictional boundaries, they don’t matter,” Lewis said. “Ryan may not have worn a Park City Fire District uniform, but the work that he was doing was absolutely part of our service.” Lynsky and his wife were in Yosemite National Park when the Dome Fire started on Sept. 15, and he remembered seeing the plume of smoke as the blaze grew. He said helicopter pilots face a lot of risk. “I’ve had a lot of close calls. Probably the closest one I ever had was in a helicopter,” Lynsky said. A helicopter followed the procession up to Ryan Cutter’s home in Summit Park. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record But flying helicopters was what Cutter loved best, his wife said. To honor that, a helicopter flew with the procession to his home in Summit Park, the rhythmic sound of its blades standing out as the escort drove by. Sierra Hellstrom, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service, said it was the first time a helicopter had given a full escort for this kind of procession, and reflected the respect and skill of Cutter as a pilot. She said Cutter was a coworker who flew aircraft on the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest for years. Emotional, Hellstrom said being part of the procession, and seeing the community response on bridges along the route, plus the turnout, showed an appreciation for the dangers firefighters like Cutter face daily. “We put on our greens and yellows and stand up to fight another day, knowing that we’re risking our lives every time we take a step out that door,” she said. “The response we saw today, with over 30 wildland firefighter vehicles and over 100 firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders, means more to us than we can ever share.” Sierra Hellstrom, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service, says Ryan Cutter was a humble and dedicated coworker. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record The post Procession escorting fallen hero back home reflects community’s values appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less