WABASHA, MN — A community support fund has been created for the families of three people killed in a weekend boat crash on Lake Pepin. The victims were in a 27-foot pontoon that struck a barge late Saturday, July 11, and overturned in the water.
Three other people were rescued after clinging to the boat. The crash left the Wabasha community mourning the deaths of Manuel De Angel-Sola, 52, Ashley Monson, 37, and Nicholas Loechler, 46.
Victims identified in crash
De Angel-Sola and Loechler were members of the Wabasha Fire Department. All three who died were from Wabasha.
Wabasha Mayor Emily Durand said the loss “feels deafening” and described the victims as people who were active, service-minded and involved in the community.
Fundraiser aims to help families
The fundraiser, organized through GoFundMe, is intended to help with funeral and memorial costs as well as other financial needs tied to the deaths. It comes as friends, coworkers and neighbors continue to gather around the families affected by the crash.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil Monday evening at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha.
Investigation continues after search
The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office said it received a late-Saturday call about people screaming for help on Lake Pepin. Emergency responders found three people holding onto the overturned pontoon near a YMCA Camp on Deer Island in Pepin County.
A search on Sunday found the three missing people in the lake. Their bodies were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Paul for autopsies, and investigators are still working to determine what caused the crash.
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