WABASHA, MN — Authorities have identified the three people who died after a pontoon boat overturned on Lake Pepin over the weekend, saying all three were from Wabasha, Minnesota. The victims were found after a large search and rescue effort and were later declared dead.
Officials said the crash happened just offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island after the 27-foot pontoon collided with a barge. Three other people were found clinging to the boat and told rescuers that three occupants were still missing.
Crash and rescue effort
The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin said it received a 911 call shortly before midnight reporting people screaming for help from the water. When crews arrived, they found the overturned pontoon and began searching for the missing occupants.
Emergency responders from both sides of the river joined the effort. After the search continued through the night, the three missing people were located and pronounced dead.
Victims identified by officials
The victims were identified as 37-year-old Ashley Monson, 46-year-old Nicholas Loechler and 52-year-old Manuel De Angel-Sola. Officials said all three lived in Wabasha.
Wabasha Fire Chief Darren Sheeley had previously confirmed that two of the victims were firefighters with the Wabasha Fire Department. The department has not said which two, though a 2022 city Facebook photo showed Angel-Sola and Loechler with Sheeley in firefighting gear.
Community remembers the loss
St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha opened its doors Monday evening for a community remembrance. Mayor Emily Durand called the deaths a staggering loss for a small town with close ties.
She said the victims were leaders and servants who were deeply loved and who left families behind. The mayor said children in those families will never be the same.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation, with help from the Pepin County and Wabasha County sheriff’s offices.
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