Meteorologists mourn colleague killed in North Carolina helicopter crash

“The WBTV household is grieving a horrible loss,” the station stated in a press release.

Talking in regards to the crash on air Tuesday, the station’s chief meteorologist stated he was “actually in shock.” “I’ve been right here nearly 30 years, and I’ve by no means had a day at this station like this earlier than. It’s powerful.”

The reason for the crash was not instantly clear. In a information briefing Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings stated it appeared as if the pilot made “diversionary strikes to keep away from visitors.” The helicopter crashed alongside a Charlotte-area interstate.

“To me it appears like a heroic incident the place the pilot tried to keep away from injuring anybody else and placing anybody else at risk,” Jennings stated. “If that’s really the case, then that pilot is a hero in my eyes.”

Myers joined the WBTV climate division three years in the past — it was the identical station the “hometown boy” watched as a toddler, the station stated. Myers married his childhood pal, Jillian, and so they had 4 kids, in accordance with the station.

In a press release launched by the household, in accordance with WBTV, they stated Myers “taught us all that crucial factor in life is your relationship with God and your relationships with others. His love for his household was exemplary.”

Buddies and colleagues stated he was dedicated to his religion and his household. “It’s simply one thing that caught with you from the second you met him,” Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at WCNC Charlotte, instructed The Washington Publish.

Simply 24 hours earlier than his demise, Myers’s radiant smile beamed as he reported on cool temperatures from an area ice rink. Bundled in his blue WBTV jacket, Myers twirled in skates to remind native viewers that the chilly temperatures might be festive.

“Nothing about Jason was something however glad,” colleague Molly Grantham stated whereas anchoring a WBTV broadcast Tuesday. “You by no means met anybody who was as constructive and glad as him.”

Many within the media and meteorology group shared their grief in posts on social media after the crash.

“Jason was a unbelievable function mannequin and a genuinely good man,” Justin Roth, a former meteorologist, wrote, including: “It hurts me to consider his spouse and household and what they’re going by. Jason at all times put household first even going to his kids’s video games between newscasts.”

Different colleagues recounted Myers’s tireless work ethic, which featured a “useful dandy clipboard” that he carried with him.

“At this time is tragic and feels unreal. My WBTV household is heartbroken,” tweeted Jason Huber, a digital content material producer for the station. “Simply nonetheless can’t imagine that is actual.”