Victims of hot air balloon crash remembered

Hot air balloon crashed near Lockhart

LOCKHART, Texas – One of the last pictures snapped from inside the doomed hot air balloon that plunged to the ground Saturday was a picture of pure tranquility taken by Matt Rowan.

Rowan and his newlywed wife, Sunday, had just moved to San Antonio and couldn't wait to fly high inside the basket of that hot air balloon.

"Matt and Sunday were the cutest couple. Everybody rooted for them. She was just the sweetest thing and Matt adored her," a close friend said Sunday.

Another couple, Joe and Tresa Owens, were also on board the balloon ride. They were from Katy.

Tresa Owens was loved and cherished at the Tiger Land Child Care Center in Katy, where she worked as a toddler teacher for more than 20 years.

"She was our friend for so long," said Cheryl Myer, assistant director at Tiger Land Childcare Center.

Joe Owens was employed with H-E-B for 12 years. He most recently worked in the meat department at the store on Highway 6, according to H-E-B.

Another victim, Holly Huckabee, whose daughter is an employee at Tiger Land Child Care Center, was also identified.

Then there's Paige Brabson and her mother, Lorilee.

Paige Brabson had recently given birth to her first child. The hot air balloon ride was a Mother's Day present from Paige to her mother.

It's a collage of good people who wanted nothing more than to soar through the sky, but were all taken from the people they love in one horrible, unspeakable tragedy.

"There's nothing you can say that really comforts in a real way or brings them back," Rowan said. "What you can say is that they had an absolute love affair with each other, and they were together when it happened."


About the Authors:

Emmy-winning investigative reporter, insanely competitive tennis player, skier, weightlifter, crazy rock & roll drummer (John Bonham is my hero). Husband to Veronica and loving cat father to Bella and Meemo.