Victims in Lake Pepin fatal boat crash identified, including 2 Wabasha firefighters
Three people who died after a pontoon overturned on Lake Pepin over the weekend have been identified.
According to officials, the Pepin County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin received a 911 call shortly before midnight reporting people screaming for help from the waters of Lake Pepin.
When emergency crews arrived, they found a 27-foot pontoon boat overturned just offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island. Officials say the pontoon collided with a barge. Three people were found clinging to the boat and told responders that three other occupants were missing.
After a large-scale search and rescue operation, the three missing people were located and declared dead. They have been identified as 37-year-old Ashley Monson, 46-year-old Nicholas Loechler and 52-year-old Manuel De Angel-Sola — all of Wabasha, Minnesota.
Two of the victims were firefighters with the Wabasha Fire Department in Minnesota, Fire Chief Darren Sheeley previously confirmed with WCCO. While the fire department hasn't confirmed which victims were firefighters, the City of Wabasha posted a 2022 Facebook photo showing Angel-Sola and Loechler with Sheeley, all wearing firefighting gear.
On Monday evening, the St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha opened its doors for the community to remember the victims. Wabasha Mayor Emily Durand called it a staggering loss for a small community that is deeply connected.
"They're leaders, they're servants, they're just wonderful people," she said. "They are loved. They are friends. Like I said, they are responsible for families. There are children who are never in their lives going to be the same."
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation into the boating crash. The Pepin County and Wabasha County sheriff's offices are assisting.
