Teen Killed In Freak Tour Boat Accident Planned To Attend Baylor

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(June 11, 2008)—Lisa Thang Chung, 18, who died Tuesday after nearly drowning when a tourist boat sank while she was on a high school graduation trip to Mexico, had planned to attend Baylor University this fall, the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.

Chung, who graduated from South Grand Prairie High School this spring, suffered heart and lung failure when the catamaran sank on Saturday.

She was declared brain dead and was being kept alive on a respirator.

She was flown home with her parents on an air ambulance Tuesday and later died.

Those aboard the tourist boat were reportedly told to jump as the vessel began to sink Saturday.

Chung was wearing a life preserver, but evidently was trapped beneath a rescue boat.

Mexican authorities are investigating whether the "Sea Star" catamaran was overloaded.

A preliminary report by the port captain said the boat appeared to be carrying 126 people when it is authorized to carry 80, but Sea Star Captain Agustin Cituk said the boat has the capacity to carry 250 people.

A GradCity spokesman says the snorkeling excursion was part of a package trip organized by the U.S. tourist agency.

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Posted by: prince Location: gp on Oct 28, 2008 at 09:39 AM
lisa was my best friend i know her for 10 years at one time she was my girlfriend and is was a good one it hurt me that she gone

Posted by: Tamara Location: Waco on Jun 12, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I agree with College Girl. For our senior trip we went to Fiesta Texas and had a blast. I don't think you need to go out of state to have fun. I do think that going out of the country like to the different Islands and even Mexico (not saying it's out of the country) is a little dangerous for American teenagers, they make for easy targets.

Posted by: NO NAME Location: NO LOCATION on Jun 12, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I went on my senior trip to cancun mexico, I went on a scuba diving excursion, and had a blast. I will also say that my mom was with me, my best friend, but... i agree there were about 300 of us and 4, i say again 4 parents. now you tell me who was watched? it goes back to the parents. my mom and aunt was with me, there 2 and one other girl took her mom and her aunt. Thats alot of kids not looked after. But if a parent lets thier child go, then they have to deal with the outcome. This situation has nothing to do with canceling the trips. Why screw the rest of us with common sense? But again.... this girl was with her parents. she was not out there going wild. so it can happen anywhere. for not leaveing Tx cause its safe, you def live in la-la land. turn on the news and tell me how safe it is. We went to schlitterbaun too and when we were there a child fell off one of the "child proof" slides and broke his nose,teeth and arm. Now tell me its safe there. you just have to be careful&safe

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Waco on Jun 12, 2008 at 09:06 AM
I went on my senior trip to Mexico when I was 17. They told me to find someone who looks like me and get a photocopy of their ID so that I could drink/get into clubs. Luckily I was a smart teen, and made it home safely with no cuts or bruises, but the truth about these trips is that they are not supervised unlike parents are told and it's much like teenagers gone wild. I think that parents should be more informed of what REALLY goes on during these trips that way the decision is completely on the parents and teen. The facts of this story are very disheartening as simple precautions should have been taken and this girl would be back home with her family now. In this case I do not believe it was any of the teens who were at fault, but the boat's crew's carelessness instead. God Bless this girl's family.

Posted by: dude Location: texas on Jun 12, 2008 at 09:06 AM
military bases near mexico have made mexico off limits to military personnel because its not safe there. maybe we should not let high school kids go there either, no parent should ever let thier kid go to mexico for any reason.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 12, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Hey that is serily wrong so I think the parents should sue the travel boat cause of the compassity of the ship and something should be done about it theese peppole lost their daughter for no good reason and they should have not of lost her it is just redicous and my prayers go out to the family and her parents expecialy I hope the pepole get just what they deserve God bless

Posted by: College Girl Location: Waco on Jun 11, 2008 at 08:04 PM
Ya know on my senior trip we went to schlitterbahn, and what do ya know no one was injured!!!I dont know why big schools think they have to go out of state to have a good time... stay in Texas for you senior trip ... It's not gonna hurt you to do so!!

Posted by: re: Anonymous Location: Waco on Jun 11, 2008 at 03:03 PM
This is very sad, but why stop graduation trips? Al lot of teens die driving. Should we stop that too? Everything you do carries some amount of risk. Getting on a boat and going on a scuba diving excursion involves more risk than sitting at home, but you weigh the risk and you go. Should these trips be required to follow safety guidelines? Of course. But accidents are always going to happen in every area of life. If you avoid risk you avoid living.

Posted by: Me, Myself & Irene Location: Waco on Jun 11, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Why don't they inspect the boats/ships, (Look what American Airlines did with their planes)and know DEFINITELY how many people the vessel can carry before boarding. What a waste/shame. May God send Angels to comfort the family.

Posted by: Bob on Jun 11, 2008 at 10:24 AM
How many more students are going to die on the "graduation trips" before they put a stop to them.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 11, 2008 at 10:17 AM
So sorry for their loss!

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