When a Mississippi National Guard helicopter careened into a wooded area in Prentiss County Friday afternoon, two members tragically died.
Their deaths were confirmed in a press release posted on Facebook.
“A report from Sheriff Randy Tolar confirms the tragic loss of two Soldiers today as a result of the crash,” it said. “The military aircraft was an AH-64 Apache, flying a routine training flight. The crash happened at approximately 2 p.m. this afternoon per reports from the Mississippi National Guard State Aviation Office.”
In a follow-up press release, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves confirmed the identity of the deceased soldiers.
They were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan Andrew Zemek, 36, of Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Derek Joshua Abbott, 42, of Delta Company of the 2nd Battalion, 151st Lakota Medical Evacuation unit.
Zemek, a native of Oxford, Miss., was serving as an AH-64 Delta Apache Standardization Instructor Pilot in Tupelo. He is survived by his wife of three years and their four children.
“His awards include the Army Commendation Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters; the Army Achievement Medal; the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; the Senior Army Aviator Badge; and many other decorations and state awards. Zemek was a graduate of New Albany High School, class of 2005,” said the governor.
Abbott was serving as a Maintenance Test Pilot in the Mississippi National Guard. He was a combat veteran and native of Fulton, Miss., and is survived by his wife of 18 years and their three children.
“His awards include the Air Medal with Valor and numeral 2; Army Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal with one campaign star; Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; the Combat Action Badge; the Senior Army Aviator Badge; and many other decorations and state awards,” said the governor’s press release.
At around 6 p.m. Friday evening, first responders and safety crews were still at the scene, and authorities said the incident will be investigated.
“Our paramount concern at this time is to ensure proper casualty assistance is conducted to support the surviving family members,” said the initial release. It also said that: “We are not at liberty to discuss any details of this accident during an ongoing investigation.”
Previously, Audacy reported on a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard who died in an October 2022 training accident, as well as a Louisiana National Guard soldier found dead in a Department of Public Safety Parking lot.
“This is a sad time for the state of Mississippi as we mourn the loss of two of our own Mississippi National Guard heroes,” said Reeves of the deaths this week. “Both Service Members served at the Mississippi National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility 2 located in Tupelo.”