3 Dickinson Sudents Msg. (Found Deceased) 11/01/09 (K.Gemar, A.Williamson, A.Neufeld) - Page 3

CSAFD · 11-04-2009, 12:57 PM

3 College Softball Players Found Dead in Submerged Jeep Likely Didn't See Pond
Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Three college softball players found dead in their Jeep after it dove into a pond on a North Dakota farm during a stargazing expedition probably drove straight into the water because they couldn't see it in the dark, authorities said Wednesday.

Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said the women's SUV was found resting on its wheels Tuesday in about 10 feet of water hidden by tall grass, with the doors and windows closed.

"When you're not familiar with an area like that it would have been very easy to drive into," Tuhy said.

The sheriff said the Dickinson State University students were on private property. He stopped short of saying they were trespassing.

No foul play is suspected in the deaths of Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of San Diego; Afton Williamson, 20, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba.

The bodies of the women and Neufeld's dog were found inside the SUV after signals from their last desperate phone calls late Sunday helped lead authorities to the farm.

Police Lt. Rod Banyai said authorities do not expect autopsy results for a week or two. The autopsies will help determine the exact cause of death and whether the women were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Authorities have said there is no indication they were.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol also will examine the 1997 Jeep Cherokee to determine if the vehicle malfunctioned, Banyai said.

The students were believed to be in the Jeep when two of their friends received telephone calls late Sunday night before the lines quickly went dead. Police described the first as a "very scratchy" call for help in which one of the students said they were near water.

Tuhy said the calls, which authorities were able to track to cell phone towers, were critical in leading searchers to the vehicle. He said it wasn't clear if emergency crews might have been able to reach the women had they called 911 instead of their friends.

"There could have probably been some location found (Sunday night) ... but if it would have been timely, I don't know," he said.

University President Richard McCallum said classes were canceled Wednesday and a memorial service was being planned on campus Thursday.

"It is times like this that we realize our sense of humanity and our sense of connection," he said.

Family members of the women planned to visit the site on Wednesday northwest of Dickinson, a city of 16,000 people that is about 100 miles west of Bismarck.

Gemar's father, Lenny, said Tuesday night after a prayer service on campus that "it's the worst day of my life."

Neufeld's mother, Bev Neufeld, said her family was trying to be strong.

"That's what she would want, and we have so much support here (on campus)," she said. "We know how much Ashley loved this school. I would just like everybody to remember Ashley's smile and personality."

The 2,700-student university listed Gemar as a senior business major who played third base on the softball team. Neufeld was a senior outfielder working on a psychology degree, and Williamson, a junior, was a pitcher majoring in psychology with a minor in coaching.

"I'm sure it will be difficult for quite a while. But we know that they'll be there with us. They would want us to play," softball teammate Jessica Huseby of Hamilton, Mont., said after the prayer service. "We just know they're going to be the 10th, 11th and 12th players on the field with us."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571587,00.html

annalyzer · 11-04-2009, 12:59 PM

Thanks for the update CSAFD. That answers a lot of my questions. They must not have been able to get the windows open.

CSAFD · 11-04-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by annalyzer

That answers a lot of my questions. They must not have been able to get the windows open.

what i really dont understand is why in the H*ll didnt they have someone who KNEW the area instead of going off alone. i dont mean to sound harsh but thats just being safe, i work FD (fire and rescue, hense my profile name) and have had a couple of times retreive bodies of people who just drive off into a lake, pond or river, and its no fun @ all bringing the victims out.

SavannahStar · 11-04-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSAFD

what i really dont understand is why in the H*ll didnt they have someone who KNEW the area instead of going off alone. i dont mean to sound harsh but thats just being safe, i work FD (fire and rescue, hense my profile name) and have had a couple of times retreive bodies of people who just drive off into a lake, pond or river, and its no fun @ all bringing the victims out.

Sadly, I suppose they just didn't expect a pond to be smack in the middle of the way of their drive. I mean...who would even think of that??

1187603408.CR.Mother Goose Tears And Tissues Final

annalyzer · 11-04-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SavannahStar

Sadly, I suppose they just didn't expect a pond to be smack in the middle of the way of their drive. I mean...who would even think of that??

They were on unfamiliar private property, never know what to expect. Maybe out 4-wheeling, having fun, didn't see the pond because of the darkness and the tall grass. Tragic.

SavannahStar · 11-05-2009, 01:22 PM

Softball players recalled for smiles, skills
By Jason Hanna, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Dickinson State University mourning three athletes found dead in pond
Ashley Neufeld was speedy outfielder, had 'infectious' personality
Kyrstin Gemar known as 'Mama K' because she lifted people's spirits
Afton Williamson, a pitcher with a mean change-up, thought about coaching
(CNN) -- Ashley Neufeld was seen a bright-smiling outfielder who ran like the wind and Kyrstin Gemar was the power hitter whose serious on-field nature might belie her heart of gold.

And Afton Williamson was the newcomer who fit right in with the tight-knit softball team, which she hoped to help push to a fourth straight national tournament, Dickinson State University Athletic Director Roger Ternes recalled Wednesday.

The three DSU friends and teammates are believed to have been stargazing together a few miles from the Dickinson, North Dakota, campus when Gemar's vehicle plunged into a stock pond on a farm Sunday night, Ternes said.

Authorities found the teammates' bodies in the submerged vehicle Tuesday. The campus has been in mourning, with classes canceled Wednesday and part of Thursday, when the school will hold a memorial service.

"It's just been devastating," Ternes told CNN. "There's no life experiences that can prepare anyone to lose a teammate, a daughter, a sister."

Police are investigating why the vehicle went into the pond, but foul play isn't suspected. A search began late Sunday after teammates received two brief cell phone calls from the women during which they mentioned water and a lake, the university has said.

Those who knew them have been remembering the three as being devoted as much as to their friends as they were to softball.

At a campus prayer service for the three on Tuesday, team captain Sara Jane Webster told her teammates that Neufeld, Gemar and Williamson would want them to stick together as always.

"I know we've lost three of our sisters, but they would want nothing more than for us to stay close to each other and truly appreciate every second we have with one another," Webster said, according to CNN affiliate KXMB.

Neufeld, a 21-year-old senior psychology major from Brandon, Manitoba, was a key component to a team that had reached the NAIA national championship tournament for three consecutive years, Ternes said.

The outfielder was an accomplished softball player not only in college, but also for her province. She was a member of the 2005 Manitoba, Canada, women's softball team, which was managed by her mother, a Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee, according to the Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press.

Known on the field for her speed, Neufeld was also quick with her smile, Ternes said.

"It was always a great day for her," he said. "She was one of those people who was infectious and great to be around."

Gemar, 22, was a redshirt senior entering her second year with DSU's team. She had transferred from Grossmont College in El Cajon, California, near her San Diego-area hometown.

The business major and DSU's designated hitter/third baseman was the "type of player the opponent should probably fear, because she could swing the bat," Ternes said.

The cleanup hitter had 10 home runs and a .475 batting average last season.

"She had a heart of gold and was the most pleasant young lady, but if you looked at her during the game, you might read her the wrong way," Ternes said. "When she was on the field, she was all business."

Gemar was someone teammates looked up to, said Jim Spiller, athletic director for Grossmont College.

"Her ... teammates referred to her as Mama K, and they did that because she supported them. She could lift them up with just a smile," Spiller told CNN affiliate KFMB in San Diego.

Caitlin Aimalefoa, Gemar's former teammate at Grossmont, told CNN affiliate KGTV that Gemar "could make anyone smile."

"She would never exclude anyone. She was there for anyone anytime they needed it," she told the San Diego TV station.

At Tuesday's prayer service, Gemar's father told DSU's team he was proud of her and her teammates.

"I got no greater joy than watching her play, and no greater joy than watching her play with you guys," Lenny Gemar said, according to KXMB.

Williamson, a 20-year-old junior from Lake Elsinore, California, was in her first year at DSU, having played two years at Riverside (California) Community College.

"She had it all figured out and got things done on and off the field," her Riverside coach, Michelle Daddona, told CNN.

Williamson, a psychology major, would have been one of DSU's starting pitchers, had an outstanding change-up and "was looked to be a key cog in our team's run to get back to the national tournament and possibly win it," Ternes said.

She was "a delight to be around" and was quick to fit in with the squad, Ternes said.

"By the time she was here a week, it was like she'd been here all her life," he said.

Williamson thought about coaching softball after college and had already given pitching lessons to girls 12 and under, Daddona said.

"There wasn't anybody she couldn't get along with. She had that ability, and an ability to push other people," Daddona said.

On Wednesday, teammates, friends and coaches visited the pond where the three died. They threw softballs and flowers into the water in their memory, The Dickinson Press reported.

"Those three, they just loved their teammates. They loved softball," DSU softball coach Kristen Fleury told the Bismarck Tribune. "They were ... great students and great girls. Their lives just went too soon."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/sof...ile/index.html

11-04-2009, 12:57 PM	#21
CSAFD Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tupelo, Ms. Posts: 940 View My Homepage	3 College Softball Players Found Dead in Submerged Jeep Likely Didn't See Pond Wednesday, November 04, 2009 Three college softball players found dead in their Jeep after it dove into a pond on a North Dakota farm during a stargazing expedition probably drove straight into the water because they couldn't see it in the dark, authorities said Wednesday. Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said the women's SUV was found resting on its wheels Tuesday in about 10 feet of water hidden by tall grass, with the doors and windows closed. "When you're not familiar with an area like that it would have been very easy to drive into," Tuhy said. The sheriff said the Dickinson State University students were on private property. He stopped short of saying they were trespassing. No foul play is suspected in the deaths of Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of San Diego; Afton Williamson, 20, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba. The bodies of the women and Neufeld's dog were found inside the SUV after signals from their last desperate phone calls late Sunday helped lead authorities to the farm. Police Lt. Rod Banyai said authorities do not expect autopsy results for a week or two. The autopsies will help determine the exact cause of death and whether the women were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Authorities have said there is no indication they were. The North Dakota Highway Patrol also will examine the 1997 Jeep Cherokee to determine if the vehicle malfunctioned, Banyai said. The students were believed to be in the Jeep when two of their friends received telephone calls late Sunday night before the lines quickly went dead. Police described the first as a "very scratchy" call for help in which one of the students said they were near water. Tuhy said the calls, which authorities were able to track to cell phone towers, were critical in leading searchers to the vehicle. He said it wasn't clear if emergency crews might have been able to reach the women had they called 911 instead of their friends. "There could have probably been some location found (Sunday night) ... but if it would have been timely, I don't know," he said. University President Richard McCallum said classes were canceled Wednesday and a memorial service was being planned on campus Thursday. "It is times like this that we realize our sense of humanity and our sense of connection," he said. Family members of the women planned to visit the site on Wednesday northwest of Dickinson, a city of 16,000 people that is about 100 miles west of Bismarck. Gemar's father, Lenny, said Tuesday night after a prayer service on campus that "it's the worst day of my life." Neufeld's mother, Bev Neufeld, said her family was trying to be strong. "That's what she would want, and we have so much support here (on campus)," she said. "We know how much Ashley loved this school. I would just like everybody to remember Ashley's smile and personality." The 2,700-student university listed Gemar as a senior business major who played third base on the softball team. Neufeld was a senior outfielder working on a psychology degree, and Williamson, a junior, was a pitcher majoring in psychology with a minor in coaching. "I'm sure it will be difficult for quite a while. But we know that they'll be there with us. They would want us to play," softball teammate Jessica Huseby of Hamilton, Mont., said after the prayer service. "We just know they're going to be the 10th, 11th and 12th players on the field with us." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571587,00.html __________________ Justice for Jennifer "Jenny" Lee Hampton, 2008, Brittany "Britt" McGlone, 2007, Lacey Anderson, 2009, Laura Garza, 2008, Paula Sladewski, 2010, Kelcey Fike, 2008, Morgan Harrington, 2009, Jessica Hawk, Aug. 2008, MURDERED

11-04-2009, 12:59 PM	#22
annalyzer Elite Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Wild and Wonderful ~ West Virginia Posts: 17,623	Thanks for the update CSAFD. That answers a lot of my questions. They must not have been able to get the windows open. __________________ http://www.justiceforchandra.com/ Last edited by annalyzer; 11-04-2009 at 01:18 PM..

11-05-2009, 01:22 PM	#26
SavannahStar Super Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Posts: 7,266	Softball players recalled for smiles, skills By Jason Hanna, CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTS Dickinson State University mourning three athletes found dead in pond Ashley Neufeld was speedy outfielder, had 'infectious' personality Kyrstin Gemar known as 'Mama K' because she lifted people's spirits Afton Williamson, a pitcher with a mean change-up, thought about coaching (CNN) -- Ashley Neufeld was seen a bright-smiling outfielder who ran like the wind and Kyrstin Gemar was the power hitter whose serious on-field nature might belie her heart of gold. And Afton Williamson was the newcomer who fit right in with the tight-knit softball team, which she hoped to help push to a fourth straight national tournament, Dickinson State University Athletic Director Roger Ternes recalled Wednesday. The three DSU friends and teammates are believed to have been stargazing together a few miles from the Dickinson, North Dakota, campus when Gemar's vehicle plunged into a stock pond on a farm Sunday night, Ternes said. Authorities found the teammates' bodies in the submerged vehicle Tuesday. The campus has been in mourning, with classes canceled Wednesday and part of Thursday, when the school will hold a memorial service. "It's just been devastating," Ternes told CNN. "There's no life experiences that can prepare anyone to lose a teammate, a daughter, a sister." Police are investigating why the vehicle went into the pond, but foul play isn't suspected. A search began late Sunday after teammates received two brief cell phone calls from the women during which they mentioned water and a lake, the university has said. Those who knew them have been remembering the three as being devoted as much as to their friends as they were to softball. At a campus prayer service for the three on Tuesday, team captain Sara Jane Webster told her teammates that Neufeld, Gemar and Williamson would want them to stick together as always. "I know we've lost three of our sisters, but they would want nothing more than for us to stay close to each other and truly appreciate every second we have with one another," Webster said, according to CNN affiliate KXMB. Neufeld, a 21-year-old senior psychology major from Brandon, Manitoba, was a key component to a team that had reached the NAIA national championship tournament for three consecutive years, Ternes said. The outfielder was an accomplished softball player not only in college, but also for her province. She was a member of the 2005 Manitoba, Canada, women's softball team, which was managed by her mother, a Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee, according to the Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press. Known on the field for her speed, Neufeld was also quick with her smile, Ternes said. "It was always a great day for her," he said. "She was one of those people who was infectious and great to be around." Gemar, 22, was a redshirt senior entering her second year with DSU's team. She had transferred from Grossmont College in El Cajon, California, near her San Diego-area hometown. The business major and DSU's designated hitter/third baseman was the "type of player the opponent should probably fear, because she could swing the bat," Ternes said. The cleanup hitter had 10 home runs and a .475 batting average last season. "She had a heart of gold and was the most pleasant young lady, but if you looked at her during the game, you might read her the wrong way," Ternes said. "When she was on the field, she was all business." Gemar was someone teammates looked up to, said Jim Spiller, athletic director for Grossmont College. "Her ... teammates referred to her as Mama K, and they did that because she supported them. She could lift them up with just a smile," Spiller told CNN affiliate KFMB in San Diego. Caitlin Aimalefoa, Gemar's former teammate at Grossmont, told CNN affiliate KGTV that Gemar "could make anyone smile." "She would never exclude anyone. She was there for anyone anytime they needed it," she told the San Diego TV station. At Tuesday's prayer service, Gemar's father told DSU's team he was proud of her and her teammates. "I got no greater joy than watching her play, and no greater joy than watching her play with you guys," Lenny Gemar said, according to KXMB. Williamson, a 20-year-old junior from Lake Elsinore, California, was in her first year at DSU, having played two years at Riverside (California) Community College. "She had it all figured out and got things done on and off the field," her Riverside coach, Michelle Daddona, told CNN. Williamson, a psychology major, would have been one of DSU's starting pitchers, had an outstanding change-up and "was looked to be a key cog in our team's run to get back to the national tournament and possibly win it," Ternes said. She was "a delight to be around" and was quick to fit in with the squad, Ternes said. "By the time she was here a week, it was like she'd been here all her life," he said. Williamson thought about coaching softball after college and had already given pitching lessons to girls 12 and under, Daddona said. "There wasn't anybody she couldn't get along with. She had that ability, and an ability to push other people," Daddona said. On Wednesday, teammates, friends and coaches visited the pond where the three died. They threw softballs and flowers into the water in their memory, The Dickinson Press reported. "Those three, they just loved their teammates. They loved softball," DSU softball coach Kristen Fleury told the Bismarck Tribune. "They were ... great students and great girls. Their lives just went too soon." http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/sof...ile/index.html __________________ I love my pitbull! My Sasha! All posts I make are my opinion.

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