JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was the day after Christmas last year when helicopter chartered by Mayo Clinic crashed.
The crew on board was flying from St. Augustine to Gainesville to pick up a donor heart and transport it to a patient waiting for a transplant at Mayo Clinic.
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On board were the pilot and owner of SK Logistics, along with a transplant surgeon and David Hines, an organ procurement technician.
Hines' family said David lost his life doing what was his passion -- helping others.
"He was special," said Christine Hines, David's daughter. "There's not a time that he would make sure somebody didn't go without. He would be the one that went without. He would always give somebody money, even if it was his last dollar. He would not eat that night -- nothing. He was an incredible man."
Family, friends and those who knew him said David called his transplant team members his second family. They said it was never about him, but was always about his teammates and his patients.
That's why they have put together a team for this weekend's Katie Ride for Life -- a team that will honor David by wearing T-shirts that read, "Honoring David Hines who lost his life saving another life," and have a picture of him in a helicopter.
"I think being in the medical field for so many years opened his eyes up to where you give somebody else another chance, a second chance of life, and that was one thing that he always loved to do," said Crystal Griner, David's daughter.
The Hines family is involved in the Katie Ride for Life, which was established in honor of a young high school student from Jacksonville who became an organ and tissue donor after not surviving the trauma of an auto accident. The ride's purpose is to raise awareness about making an organ donation commitment.
Katie Ride for Life That ride takes place Saturday, David Hines' family said he would be proud to know his life's work continues.
For more information on the ride, go to KatieRideForLife.org.