Texas awoke with some hard news today. A brand new married couple, Bailee and Will Byler, were killed in a helicopter crash early Sunday morning leaving their wedding reception.
Authorities are trying to figure out how it all happened, because the pilot was killed in the accident as well. Family and friends are demanding answers as well.
“A young bride and groom from Texas were killed when their helicopter suddenly crashed moments after departing the reception, according to reports.
The chopper carrying newlyweds Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman went down early Sunday in Uvalde, Texas, about 15 miles from the Byler family’s ranch.
Gerald Green Lawrence, the pilot of the Bell 206B helicopter, also died in the 1:47 a.m. crash.
A Facebook post by the Houstonian, the student newspaper at Sam Houston State University, identified the couple as seniors at the school.
“It is with deepest sadness that we announce the tragic passing of two Bearkats Will Byler (Agriculture Engineering senior) and Bailee Ackerman Byler (Agricultural Communication senior) in a helicopter accident departing their wedding. We ask that you keep the Byler and Ackerman families in your thoughts and prayers.”
A Nov. 3 wedding date was listed on a website for the Ackerman and Byler nuptials. The site featured stunning engagement photos of the twosome in the great outdoors.
A wedding guest captured the happy couple — Ackerman in a white gown and veil and Byler in a tuxedo and cowboy hat — heading toward the doomed chopper through a row of lighted sparklers, ABC13 reported.
Guests cheered as the helicopter took off.
Ackerman’s best friend, Katie Ellis, said the family-oriented couple were members of the school’s rodeo team.
“[Bailee] was full of life, beautiful, and could light up a room with her smile,” Ellis told MySanAntonio.com in an email. “When Bailee met Will she completely fell in love. Will was so adventurous and lived life to the [fullest] every single day and Bailee always went with the flow.”
Ellis said Ackerman was set to graduate in December and Will in May.
“I love them both so dearly and they will always be so special to me,” she said. “They will be greatly missed by many. One day we will all see their smiles and dimples again.”
The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is assisting, said the aircraft “crashed under unknown circumstances in a remote area.”
The Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office said police received a call about a possible downed aircraft around midnight in the area of northwest Uvalde County. The mangled helicopter was found at daybreak.”
They DID have some of the most beautiful dimples, right? Their children’s faces would have been covered in them.
We don’t have much more to report on this horrific story. The crash could have been caused by pilot error, mechanical failure, or anything else that we haven’t thought about.
What we DO know, is that three families are in mourning now, and we are sending our sincerest condolences to each and every one.
May you two rest in eternal peace together, forever.
Oh this is so sad!!! My heart truly goes out to this Couple & the pilot.
R.I.P. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾