Thursday, August 19, 1999
Bodies from river crash found
3 of 4 aboard one boat were killed in wreck
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DAYTON, Ky. — Grieving family members kept up a vigil by the Ohio River all through the day Wednesday until searchers eventually found all three missing victims from Monday night's boat wreck.
Their mood, as much as possible, improved throughout the day. They were able to tease about the woman who remained missing the longest, Pamela Martini.
“They said she was never on time for anything,” said the Rev. Don Drewry, chaplain for several area police departments who stayed at the scene for hours to help the families and friends. “They said if we'd throw in a bottle of nail polish, she'd probably reach up and grab it.”
Mrs. Martini, of Dearborn County, Ind., and her husband, Scott, were boating after a concert Monday night by the rock group Black Sabbath with friends Ken and Kim Middendorf of Cleves. Mrs. Middendorf was the only passenger on their Stingray Rally Sport speedboat who survived. The bodies of the two men were found Wednesday morning. Mrs. Martini's was found by late afternoon.
All the bodies were found in the Watertown Marina area in Dayton.
The Stingray, investigators say, was hit first from behind by another speedboat, a Thunderbird Formula carrying Brian Brunen and Nicole Purvis, both of Cincinnati. The first hit spun the Stingray around, and the Thunderbird then drove over the front of it, said Officer Douglas Bryant, the Kentucky state water patrol officer in charge of the accident investigation.
He said he found empty and full beer cans in the Thunderbird, prompting him to say that too many boaters still re gard waterways as the “last vestige for raising hell.”
No decision has been made on charges in Monday's crash.
Mr. Brunen, 32, remained in good condition Wednesday at University Hospital. Ms. Purvis was treated at St. Luke Hospital East and released. Mrs. Middendorf also was listed in good condition. She is scheduled to have surgery today, a hospital spokeswoman said.
A friend of the victims, Anita Wesley, arrived at the scene Wednesday morning with bouquets of mums for a small memorial by the water. She said the victims were good-hearted and deserved to be remembered that way.
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