CHURCHVILLE, NY (WKBW) — One of the men killed in a helicopter crash in Elba on April 26 will be laid to rest Monday.
James Sauer, 60, was a former police officer and a member of the New York Army National Guard before starting his career at Mercy Flight.
The investigation into the crash is continuing. Sauer and Stewart Dietrick, a Bell Helicopter flight instructor from Texas, were killed while on a training mission. Witnesses said they heard a motor noise that sounded “weird” like a car that wouldn't start. Investigators say it could take months to determine the cause of the crash.
The funeral will be held Monday at the Open Door Baptist Church in Churchville at 1 p.m. Mercy Flight asks all fire departments, police departments and EMS agencies to arrive at the church no later than 11:30 a.m. in Class A uniform or department uniform. Attending agencies and departments are asked to RSVP via text to Thomas LaBelle at (716) 444-9266.
