|
Drowned Tourists
To Be Remembered at Memorial
Associated Press
PARSONS, Kan. - This mournful
southeast Kansas town prepared
Friday to celebrate the lives of
three teenagers and a teacher
swept out to sea last weekend
while on a school trip to Costa
Rica.
Earlier this week, rescue crews
pulled the bodies of the youths
from Labette County High School
out of Pacific waters near the
town of Parrita, south of the
Costa Rican capital of San Jose.
Spanish teacher Brett Carlson's
body was recovered on Friday.
Friends and teachers who knew
the students - Jessica Pierce
and Andrew Harpstrite, both 17,
and 18-year-old Danielle Tongier,
who had graduated - described
them as promising young people
destined for good things. Their
26-year-old teacher, popular at
the high school, apparently
jumped in to help when he saw
his students were in trouble
while swimming off Palo Seco
beach. He is said to have
rescued at least two other
students.
"It's just devastating," said
Labette County schools
superintendent Dennis Wilson.
"People just can't believe it.
Even people who don't know any
of these children or know this
teacher, they feel connected
just because of the magnitude of
the tragedy."
Those planning to attend the
memorial service Friday night at
Municipal Auditorium were asked
to bring written memories or
cards for the students and
teacher, which are to be
compiled into a book for their
families.
Carlson was leading 11 students
on an educational tour when the
weather changed Saturday and
strong waters began pulling them
out to sea.
It happened on a stretch of
Costa Rican shore notorious for
its dangerous currents, where at
least four other people already
had died this year. Luis
Hidalgo, president of Costa
Rica's National Association of
Lifeguards, said the area is
popular with tourists but no
lifeguards or warning signs let
swimmers know of possible
dangers.
Still, other students on the
trip told Wilson that they were
warned by a guide that the
waters were dangerous.
The nearest Coast Guard ship was
eight hours away. Other boats, a
plane, a helicopter and shore
patrols eventually joined the
search effort.
|
|
