More than $600,000 has been raised for Tia Coleman, a survivor of a Missouri duck boat accident that left nine people from her family dead. Of the 29 passengers and two crew members on board during the disaster a total of 17 people died.
Coleman was one of only two survivors of the accident in her family, which killed her husband Glenn, their three children, and other family members.
Thirty-one people were on board the vessel, which was on Table Rock Lake on Thursday. Coleman and her 13-year-old nephew were among the survivors, but along with Coleman’s immediate family, her nephew’s mother and brother also died, as well as several older members of the family.
“Don’t worry about grabbing the life jackets, you won’t need them,” she said, recounting his words.
She said her son was next to her as the water filled up the boat but she couldn’t see as the boat sank.
“I don’t know how I got out. I couldn’t see anything,” she said. “I thought, ‘There’s no use in keeping me here.' And I started floating, and as I started floating I felt the temperature change. I believe I survived by God.”
People on a vessel nearby were throwing out life rafts and jumping into the water to help the passengers.
“Somehow, I managed to get to the boat,” Coleman said. “They were beautiful people, angels, I don’t know who they were. They pulled me up into the boat ... I didn’t see any of my family.”
“Going home, I already know is gonna be completely, completely difficult. I don’t know how I’m going to do it,“ she said. ”Since I’ve had a home, it’s always been filled with little feet and laughter. And my husband. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it.”
