WABASHA, MN — A community support fund has been started for the families of three Wabasha residents killed in a weekend boat crash on Lake Pepin. The people who died were Manuel De Angel-Sola, 52, Ashley Monson, 37, and Nicholas Loechler, 46.
The pontoon boat they were riding in collided with a barge late Saturday, July 11, 2026. Three other people who were clinging to the overturned boat were rescued from the water.
Who was killed
De Angel-Sola and Loechler were members of the Wabasha Fire Department, according to the report. Mayor Emily Durand said the loss of the three people “feels deafening” and described them as service-oriented and engaged members of the community.
The crash has shaken the town, and hundreds of people attended a vigil Monday evening at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha.
Fundraising for families
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help family members with funeral and memorial expenses, along with other financial hardships tied to the deaths. The fundraiser was organized as the community began looking for ways to support the families left behind.
The effort comes as friends, neighbors and coworkers continue to mourn the loss of the three victims.
Crash investigation continues
The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office said it received a late Saturday call about people screaming for help on Lake Pepin. Responders found three people clinging to the overturned pontoon near a YMCA Camp on Deer Island in Pepin County.
A search on Sunday turned up the three missing people in the lake, and their bodies were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Paul for autopsies. Authorities said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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