DICKINSON, N.D. - Teammates and family members threw roses and softballs yesterday into the farm pond where three North Dakota college softball players were found dead inside a sunken sport utility vehicle.
But there were few answers to the most troublesome questions: How long were the women trapped in the water, and how long did they suffer after frantically calling friends for help?
“I can’t believe that my baby is gone. I miss her terribly. I’m just wondering . . . What went through her mind while she was still alive in her last moment?’’ said Claire Gemar of San Diego, whose 22-year-old daughter, Kyrstin, was among the three Dickinson State University students pulled from the small pond after signals from the phone calls helped lead authorities to the farm.
No foul play is suspected in the deaths of Gemar; 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 on Tuesday.
The women were believed to be on a stargazing trip Sunday night, and authorities said they probably drove straight into the water in the dark. The pond is surrounded by high grass and shrubs off a narrow gravel road in a pasture north of Dickinson.
Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said the SUV was found resting on its wheels in about 10 feet of water with the doors and windows closed.
