Friends, family celebrate the life of Park City pilot Ryan Cutter

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The life of Ryan Cutter, a Park City pilot who died in a California helicopter crash, was celebrated on Saturday.
Friends and family noted Cutter's adventurous life and commitment to protecting colleagues.

PARK CITY — Friends and colleagues gathered Saturday to remember Ryan Cutter, celebrating a life defined by adventure, loyalty and a deep commitment to others.

Cutter, a 46-year-old Park City helicopter pilot, died Sept. 20 while fighting a wildfire in California. He was one of two helicopter pilots killed when his helicopter crashed while fighting the Dome Fire at Yosemite National Park.

During a memorial service and celebration of life Saturday, people who knew Cutter remembered not only his work flying into dangerous conditions to fight wildfires, but also the friendships he built and the everyday moments that made him special.

One of Cutter's defining qualities, Adam Schwall said, was his commitment to protecting the people who worked alongside him.

"We do everything we can to save someone's life, but we never put the crew's life at risk. I knew that was just him," he said.

Another speaker at Saturday's memorial reflected on Cutter's adventurous life, saying, "Ryan lived a life most of us could only dream about" and "embraced adventure every chance he got."

Cutter enjoyed outdoor activities, including backcountry skiing and base jumping. But friends said his impact went beyond the adventures he pursued.

Helicopters fly over the celebration of life for Ryan Cutter, in Park City, Saturday. Cutter died in late September while fighting the Dome Fire in California. (Photo: Nathan Riser, KSL)

Another friend who spoke at the celebration on Saturday said Cutter could turn simple moments into lasting memories and "could turn a bike ride into an adventure, a ski day into a story."

Schwall said Cutter's loyalty was another lasting quality that will stay with him long after his friend's death.

"He was the most loyal person I've ever met in my life," he said.

Chad Walker, a friend and co-worker, remembered how Cutter made a point of checking in on the people closest to him, even when life got busy.

"The other thing he was better at flying was being my friend. No matter what he was doing, he would always check in to see how I was doing," he said.

As friends and loved ones gathered to honor Cutter, the service included bagpipes and helicopters flying overhead, reflecting the life and work that had brought so many people together.

People gather at the celebration of life for Ryan Cutter, in Park City, Saturday. Cutter died in late September while fighting the Dome Fire in California. (Photo: Nathan Riser, KSL)

Walker closed his tribute with a message that captured both the pain of losing his friend and the gratitude he felt for having known him.

"It'll be weird without flying with you anymore, but it was absolutely awesome that I got to call you my friend," he said.

For those who gathered in Park City, Cutter's legacy is not defined solely by the risks he took as a pilot. It also lives on through the friendships he built, the people he looked out for and the memories he leaves behind.

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