It is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic death of a beloved holistic doctor right here in Florida.
Dr. Christopher Brugger, 52, of Bradenton Florida (near Tampa) died when the gyrocopter he was in crashed. It is still unknown what happened as the pilot and instructor, 45-year-old Chris Lord, had thousands of hours of experience. 1 He also reportedly had licenses to fly over 30 of types of these gyroplanes, as well as his instructor’s license. Dr. Brugger was also a pilot.
It’s been the rare occasion that we’ve seen the news ask the public for information on any of these doctor deaths but in this case, they went one step further, asking anyone who knew Dr. Brugger to give them a call.
What we do know is that Dr. Chris Brugger was a chiropractor with “a successful practice in Bradenton with many long-term clients turned friends and vice versa” 2. He was described by friends as a great father, husband, grandfather, and friend who “didn’t just leave behind a grieving family — he leaves behind a grieving community of friends.”3
“Lord’s friend and the manager of the Sebring Airport, Zach Easton said Lord was one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. “There wasn’t anybody he wouldn’t help out,” Easton told FOX 13.
Easton says Brugger had just dropped off his gyrocopter (also known as a gyroplane) at the airport for an annual once-over and needed a ride back to Manatee County. Lord volunteered to give him a lift.”4
I, Erin Elizabeth, had a father who flew many different types of aircraft for decades, including ones like this. He died this summer, at almost 81, while hang-gliding thousands of feet high. The coroner stated my Dad most likely had a heart attack and was gone long before his trusty glider brought him to the ground.
I wish he were around right now so I could ask him about this accident.
Other news reports are asking if anyone saw what happened right before the accident, as it’s still a mystery. Sadly the blaze was so massive that most of the evidence was burned up in the fire.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the pilot and the holistic Dr. Brugger, right here in Florida.
Erin Elizabeth
