3 Missing N. Dakota Students Found Dead

Police: Softball Players Found in Vehicle Pulled from Pond Two Days after Women Disappeared

(AP)  Last updated at 9:09 p.m. Eastern

Three missing North Dakota college softball players were found dead Tuesday in a Jeep pulled from a pond, and police said they believed the women were in the vehicle when they made two desperate calls to friends for help.

Police Lt. Rod Banyai said officers are investigating the cause of the deaths and autopsies are planned. He said he believes the women were in the Jeep when they called for help, but he didn't know whether it already was under water when those calls were made.

"At this time, foul play is not suspected," Banyai said Tuesday night.

Authorities had been searching since late Sunday night for Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of San Diego; Afton Williamson, 20, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba.

The Dickinson State University students were believed to be in the white 1997 Jeep Cherokee with California plates when two of their friends received telephone calls before the lines went dead. Police described the first as a "very scratchy" call for help in which one of the women said they were near a lake and water.

Banyai said the 12-foot deep pond where the women were found is on a farm northwest of Dickinson, a city of 16,000 people about 100 miles west of Bismarck and 60 miles east of the Montana state line. Vehicle tracks were found leading into the pond Tuesday afternoon, he said.

"After that was located, the plane flew over the top and it could see that there was a white object in the water," Banyai said. The submerged vehicle was pulled from the pond about two hours later.

Banyai said the vehicle will be checked for defects. He said authorities don't know how it got into the pond.

Kyrstin Gemar's parents, Lenny and Claire, said during an earlier news conference at police headquarters, before the bodies were found, that they had talked to their daughter late Saturday night. Lenny Gemar said it was not uncommon for his daughter and her friends to go star gazing on the spur of the moment.

The women's families were not at the news conference where police announced the deaths.

Students at Dickinson State, where the women were stars on the school's softball team, led a prayer service Monday night that drew more than 300 people. Another service was scheduled at the 2,700-student school for Tuesday night.

"We are very deeply saddened by this turn of events and we are going to mobilize all of our resources to work with the families and the students on campus," Dickinson State spokeswoman Constance Walter said. "They will be greatly missed by their teammates and others."

The college lists Gemar as a senior business major who played third base on the softball team. Neufeld is a senior outfielder who is working on a degree in psychology, and Williamson, a junior, is a pitcher majoring in psychology with a minor in coaching.

Gov. John Hoeven issued a statement extending sympathy to the families and appreciation to those who participated in the search, "which ended in a way we all prayed it wouldn't."

[suzee2253]

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[Itshottoday]

oh my gosh, this makes me so sad. What the hell happened?!?

[juudee]

My sincere condolences to the families of these students. I know the lure of stargazing and the quiet draw of nature at night. This is a case of just being in the wrong place, not knowing exactly the land, or even guessing there could be water they would not see in time to react. Once into the water, I'm sure they panicked ... I feel for you as a mother of college age sons and with the knowledge that my love of nature could have led me into similar places! There but for the grace ... so sorry ...

[marlynmay]

Rural North Dakota is full of these ponds and sloughs. They sometimes come within a few feet of the road and when there is lots of rain the roads are flooded. Sometimes it is difficult to see them because of the reeds and grasses that grow along the edge. There are no streetlights and it is very dark (hence the stargazing), all it takes is one wrong turn on an unfamiliar road and you are in trouble. My sympathy to the families of these girls. Let a deer jump out in front of the car and make an evasive move and you could easily end up in a ditch or some water. I don't why so many people want to make it sound as if something weird was going on or that the girls were drinking, can't they wait for reports from authorities?

[marlynmay]

Rural North Dakota is full of these ponds and sloughs. They sometimes come within a few feet of the road and when there is lots of rain the roads are flooded. Sometimes it is difficult to see them because of the reeds and grasses that grow along the edge. There are no streetlights and it is very dark (hence the stargazing), all it takes is one wrong turn on an unfamiliar road and you are in trouble. My sympathy to the families of these girls. Let a deer jump out in front of the car and make an evasive move and you could easily end up in a ditch or some water. I don't why so many people want to make it sound as if something weird was going on or that the girls were drinking, can't they wait for reports from authorities?

[DSU077]

First of all, who is anyone to comment on what they should of done, it's easy to say that sitting in your house but unless you have been in that situation you have no idea. How many people are taught what to do in that situation? I'm guessing not a lot. North Dakota is cold and water is freezing! Also girls were not out partying, if you knew them you would never make such a stupid comment. It's a tragedy, some of us lost people we have known for years and we have no answers why. Also they weren't sitting by water they were driving down a dirt road (which there is a lot of and it is really easy to get lost in the dark) and they ended up in a field and drove off the edge, they didn't even know was there. I think a lot of people need to keep their big mouth comments to themselves!

[erasmus111]

So you knew the girls, did you?

Some people THINK they know others, but they really don't.

If you are driving with your headlights on, you can see the road. When you leave the road, you can also see that too. I saw a picture of it and when they started driving on the grass, they would have known they had left the road. Unless they were drunk, that is.

[bobnjersey]

[How many people are taught what to do in that situation? I'm guessing not a lot.]

in the last five years i've seen between 6 to 10 summaries of how to handle a 'car in the water' scenario. it probably should be part of getting your license so that at least you've been exposed to the strategy.

even w/ preparation ... it would likely be an overwhelming thing to deal with ... but it might have saved their lives.

young drivers will make mistakes ... and likely panic in situations like this ... which is all the more reason why they should be aware of how to deal with it.

[DSU077]

It's not that simple... have you ever drove on a gravel road or in the country??... it's not that easy to turn around because there are a lot of ways you can get stuck.... and I did know the girls and I knew them very well actually. And I have never learned or even seen what to do in that situation and since it isnt a part of getting your drivers license I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who wouldn't know what to do. This is a tragedy and people have no right to make judgements or speculations on what YOU think happened.

[erasmus111]

by DSU077 November 4, 2009 9:28 PM EST
It's not that simple... have you ever drove on a gravel road or in the country??...


Yes, many times.


"And I have never learned or even seen what to do in that situation..."


Well, I have seen many programs explaining what to do.

[bobnjersey]

[And I have never learned or even seen what to do in that situation and since it isnt a part of getting your drivers license I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who wouldn't know what to do. ]

do you know what to do now? do you have children who drive? do they now know what to do if they accidentally drive into water and the car sinks? there's really no excuse for not knowing how to deal w/ this situation. it happens all the time ... and those that have the responsibility of driving should be aware of it. it's been covered by many media outlets in various forms. it's simply a few key words away.

'submerged car escape'

[rondivoo]

I agree with one commentor, if they could call friends (a really dumb thing to do), why not call "911" ... makes much more sense. Why would they sit in the vehicle "near the water" knowing the car was going to be submerged? If they had time to call friends, they had time to get out, it would seem. Strange event. I have to wonder what really happened.

[DaVicar8]

The parents of the victims will probably sue Jeep for some kind of vehicle defect that caused the drownding.

[bubbadubba]

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 600 people die yearly in immersed vehicles. According to the agency, 2,000 nonfatal crashes occurred in 2004 in which vehicles were immersed, and 282 fatal immersions occurred."

All of those cars had power windows.
282 people drowned.
I rest my case.
You can put your life in the hands of that window breaker thing if you want to.
Power windows are death traps and with the proper gearing are not even needed. We won't get into how many children die when their heads get caught in power windows.
But for those of you who just love your power windows, have fun.
A simple emergency crank attached to the mechanism would save lives but that might cost a few dollars and ruin the looks of the interior of the car so people will just have to die a horrible death.

[maiingan]

I think your suggestion is brilliant! I'm still driving a "classic" car with hand-crank windows. When I can afford a new car, I'll have to create a 'rule of thumb' for window safety where there's a "water hazard." Meanwhile, I urge you to tell your emergency-hand-crank idea to automakers, government agencies, and your elected reprentatives...this is along the lines of the emergency opening latch on the inside of car trunks. When the law is passed, they can call this the "Bubbadubba Emergency Hand-Operated Car Window Crank."

[Skruffy1]

A good piece of safety equipment that might be a good idea to have in vehicles in areas where there are lots of bodies of water is a little tool that's a combination hammer (for breaking a window) and seatbelt cutter. Besides doors and windows maybe being difficult to open under water, there are many ways that seatbelts can become jammed, or just be difficult to release, by the occupant or rescuers. I wouldn't know if this device could have saved these young women. My condolances to the families.

[tramplers]

It doesn't matter what kind of windows you have. Once the water reaches the windows, you are NOT getting them down until the pressure equalizes. Watch Mythbusters. They did an episode on it. There are hundreds of pounds of pressure being exerted on the windows.

You have 3 options
1. Get them down before the water reaches them.
2. Have one of those tools that will shatter them.
3. Wait until the car fills with water. A minute or so AFTER that happens, the pressure will equalize and you can open the door or roll the window down.

I know it's easy to say this while it's not happening to you but at least you will know what to do and not waste energy and oxygen fruitlessly trying to get out when it's impossible.

[mtcolquitt]

My condolences to all the families. That's really all that should be said here!

[bubbadubba]

You folks still lovin those power windows?
Power windows are death traps, they wear out quick, and they are expensive to replace.
If your doors won't open and you have power windows and your car is on fire or under water, you are going to die. Period.
Ever seen power windows on a school bus?
DUH.

[bobnjersey]

[If your doors won't open and you have power windows and your car is on fire or under water, you are going to die. Period.
Ever seen power windows on a school bus?
DUH. ]

power windows will continue to work even when submerged for a few minutes. it's best to open them immediately if you can ... but in all tests i've seen done w/ a submerged vehicle ... they work even when the car is underwater.

[Surelyoujest]

I'm curious as to whether any of them could swim? 12 ft of water is the depth of a swimming pool. It's not that hard to escape a submerged vehicle. Roll down the windows, wait for the car to fill, open the door or go through the window & head for the surface. I would think at least one of them would have made it. Too bad.

[Dgunner]

Although star gazing from a moving vehicle doesn't cartry the wholesome foundation of edeucated mind. I do however believe evry child should be taught to read the heavens. If your child was abducted and was able to escape thier captor they would be able to simply look up and know where they were within a certaian geographical location.I have eight year old grand children that can lead you out of the forest or desert using nothing but the stars as reference.Many people and children die each year because of becoming disoriented in the wild . It is a shame because it takes so little time and effort to save a life . Ignorance is your worst enemy in the wild. Not nature.

[maiingan]

So true!

[maiingan]

This is the tragic end I'd hoped wouldn't be the case. There are a great many ponds on the northern Plains, both farm ponds and natural "prairie potholes." This might be a good time for all the school systems in this region to educate everyone about how to get out of a sinking vehicle, including both the parts about the windows (which can be tough if they're electrically operated and the car's electrical system is drowned), and various devices, including the Life Hammer (which I have), which are made to enable a person to break the window of a car to make egress possible. Some of these devices include a blade which is to be used to cut the seat belt of someone you are rescuing. Advocates say every car should have one, and I don't disagree. The "Early Show" update showed how easy it was to miss the turn that led away from that pond. Safety devices and education don't eliminate the need for extremely careful driving at night, of course. My condolences go to the loved ones of these student.

[ekucrew]

This sad ending illustrates the need for an auto rescue kit for every vehicle. These kits do not take up alot of space and contain a seat belt cutter and a window punch. Buy one today for every vehicle you own If your child is away at college, buy one for them. I checked today and these kits are priced less than $20 and available through most EMT catalog websites or safety supplies website. I bought one years ago when I lived near a major lake. I moved away 10 years ago but the kit remains in my vehicle.

Sympathy to the girls' families and friends.

[bubbadubba]

Window punches don't work when there is outside pressure as in under water since most people are not strong enough to break the window with the force of water pressure against them.
Just wanted to point that out.

[kristenbaby1]

though i pray that there is no foul play involved, it seems questionable to me that the call for help didn't say they were IN the water, it said they were NEAR the water.
you don't know that you're going into the water until you're already there, do you?

[WinnipegMB1]

Maybe CBS News or 60 Minutes should look into the safety of these stock ponds.

Go to google and punch in: drowning "stock ponds" and see how many drownings have happened. If they are so deep, maybe they should have a protective fence around them? Or a reflective warning sign, or inexpensive LED lights circling the pond?

Doing nothing is not the answer. I think of how these three women drowned and it scares me that it'll probably happen again.

[WinnipegMB1]

I meant to write, for google, type in drownings "stock pond"... that gets more results.

[I_am_me1953]

Winnipeg, stay in Canada.

The purpose of stock ponds is for watering of live stock, not swimming. Put a fence around a stock pound, what a really dumb idea. Defeats the whole purpose of allowing the cattle to get water when they want.

[mswolfestock]

This is so sad . . . . but I'm wondering if this pond was on private property and did the young ladies have permission to be there?

[sandy19731]

The pond was on private property. Many "city people" do not seem to realize that the "country" actually belongs to someone. It is not a huge city park. I am truly sorry for these families losses the girls were just young and ignorant and they may have simply taken a wrong turn.

[football83]

It's a sad thing that had to happen, but your idea of a stock pond is way off...a stock pond is in a pasture with livestock so the fence would defeat the purpose. the girls were probably lost since no roads in North Dakota ever lead to a stock pond you have to drive into the pasture to get to the stock pond. but it sounds strange that they chose to call friends instead of 911 when they sensed something was wrong, so to me something else had to have been going on it just doesn't make any sense.

[mcapek]

Even if you do everything right in your life, you can still get into a fatal accident, there is a good change that nobody will ever know for sure what caused the accident, and there will only be a long term pain and sorrow of those who lost the loved ones.

[cbiondi246]

RIP AFTY!!!! You will be missed and loved!!! And for those of you who have nothing better to do than talk crap go to hell. IF you knew any of these girls you would know they werent having lesbin sex or too drunk to function. Get a life! My thoughts and prayers are with their families!!!

[PanDimensionalWedgie]

"...wait til the car filled with water and the pressure equalized..."

Richard Hammond on the show "Top Gear" tested this theory and showed that as the car sinks the pressure against the windows is constantly changing so you'd have to wait until the car rested on the bottom for the pressure to equalize for you to be able to open the door. Apparently, as it sinks this difference in pressure makes it impossible to open the door and he could only open the door once the car reached the bottom of the pool. Your best bet is to open the door IMMEDIATELY once you hit the water since you'd have no idea how deep the water is and how long it will take to reach the bottom.

[Newster1]

Gezus the window glass is paper thin any more on these cars, it's no more than 1/8" thick and shatters on impact very easy, your elbow can break it if the car isnt full of water and you can move your arm fast, otherwise your foot can easily break it out too.
Pppl are so dam helpless these days its not funny, wouldnt survive half a week out in the wilderness without rescue