Friends remembered: Randell Ranson

Randell Ranson, 44, of Heber City, Utah, died July 1, 2015.  An Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, where he was an instructor and drill sergeant, he worked as an aircraft mechanic at Salt Lake City International Airport.  There, on July 16, 2010, he attempted to save a man who had been struck by helicopter, which then crashed and leaked fuel.  Ranson grasped the man to remove him, but the fuel ignited explosively, throwing him back 10 feet and setting fire to the helicopter wreckage.  Ranson sustained burns, up to second-degree, to his legs, left arm, and face.  The victim died at the scene.