• Latest
  • Trending
Tia Coleman Duck Boat Accident

Over $700,000 Raised for Tia Coleman, Christian Mom Who Lost Family in Duck Boat Accident

July 26, 2018
jesus statue Christ the Redeemer

Why Is There Christianity If Jesus Was Jewish?

September 21, 2023
JoAnne Epps

Temple University Acting President JoAnne Epps Dies Suddenly on Campus

September 20, 2023
UMC Bishop Minerva Carcano in a 2008 file photo

UMC Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño Suspended, Faces Church Trial

September 20, 2023
doctors

Just 2 Percent of US Doctors Are Latina. These Women Want That to Change.

September 20, 2023
COGIC Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard

Head of Major Black Christian Group Backtracks on Mormon Partnership, Apologizes for Causing ‘Discontent’

September 18, 2023
Slavery memorial at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Christian Seminary Founded by Enslavers Thankful for Forced, Unpaid Labor

September 18, 2023
Kirk Franklin and Richard Hubbard

Kirk Franklin Finally Finds His Birth Father After 53 Years

September 18, 2023
Pastor Kevin Smith

Pastor Kevin Smith Is First Black Man in SBC Org’s History to Serve as Chairperson

September 18, 2023
vehicle car

Here’s How to Donate a Car to Charity and Write It Off as a Tax Deduction

September 13, 2023
Tony Evans and Carla Crummie engaged to be married

Dr. Tony Evans Engaged to Former Pastor’s Wife and Widow Four Years After Lois Evans’ Death

September 12, 2023
Haiti

Christians Plea for Prayer, Help Amid Haiti’s Surging Gang Violence

September 12, 2023
Coco Gauff prayer

Coco Gauff Talks Faith After US Open Win: I Don’t Pray for Results; I Pray for Strength.

September 12, 2023
Faithfully Magazine
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Inspiration
  • Specials
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Log In
Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Inspiration
  • Specials
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
Faithfully Magazine
Home Uncategorized

Over $700,000 Raised for Tia Coleman, Christian Mom Who Lost Family in Duck Boat Accident

Brandi Hunter by Brandi Hunter
July 26, 2018
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Tia Coleman Duck Boat Accident

Tia Coleman. (Photo: videograb)

261
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It

Tia Coleman, the Christian mother who lost nine family members when a Missouri duck boat capsized and sank, has received more than $700,000 in public donations since her personal story was revealed last week.

Coleman, 34, lost her husband and their three young children in the accident. Their funeral service and a public visitation was scheduled for Friday, July 27 at Grace Apostolic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Colemans were on an annual family vacation in tourist destination Branson, Missouri, on July 19 when a severe thunderstorm caused the duck boat they were on with 20 other people to capsize, killing 16 passengers and the driver. Coleman’s nephew, 13-year-old Donovan, was the only other survivor from her family.

RelatedArticles

No Content Available

Coleman said at a press conference that prayer and support from family and friends are what she is relying on after the tragedy.

“I want to give a special shout-out to my pastor for driving down from Indianapolis to be with us. And for all the families, and the vigils, and all the people that I’ve heard about, I haven’t seen them but I’ve heard about them, keep us in prayer. We’re going to need it,” she said.

After traveling from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Branson to meet with Coleman, her family pastor, Bishop Victor Morrisey of God’s Love Christian Church, encouraged the public to donate to the official GoFundMe campaign established for the grieving woman.

As of July 26, more than 15,000 people had donated approximately $723,000 to the GoFundMe campaign, which had a goal of raising $1 million. Donor amounts ranged from $5 to $5,000, and people have shared the campaign page more than 65,000 times.

Coleman’s childhood church, Zion Tabernacle Apostolic Church, also has become a donation and information hub since the incident, said church pastor Suffragan Bishop Thomas E. Griffith.

Tia Coleman Family Duck Boat
The Coleman family. (Photo courtesy of the Colemans)

Raised an Apostolic Christian, the widow and mom of three continuously mentioned prayer when responding to questions from reporters about the tragic accident, telling them she prayed while attempting to find her children and escape from inside the capsized boat.

“Lord, just let me die because I can’t keep drowning,” she recalled saying while struggling to swim to the surface of Table Rock Lake, where the duck boat sank.

Coleman told CNN’s Anderson Cooper the recovery crew found her husband, Glenn, holding their three children, Reece, 9; Evan, 7; and Arya, 1.

“The reason I couldn’t find them is that he was protecting them,” Coleman said. “That right there will keep me fighting for my family forever.”

Coleman believes she survived “by God and good Samaritans,” but doesn’t remember exactly how she made it out of the boat and into a position for rescue crew to find her. She recalls bumping her head in the duck boat, someone pushing her leg, and deciding to “let go” after unsuccessful attempts to swim up to the surface of the lake.

“The harder I fought to get up to the top, the more I was getting pulled down,” she said.

Coleman recalled saying, “Lord, if I can’t make it, there’s no use in keeping me here.”

At some point, “I just let go and I started floating,” she said.

The other victims in the Coleman family were her mother and father-in-law, Belinda, 69, and Horace, 70; Horace’s brother, Ervin, 76; Glenn’s sister, Angela, 45; and Angela’s son, Maxwell, 2.

The other passengers killed in the accident include: Bob Williams, 73 (who was driving the boat); William Asher, 69; Rosemarie Hamann, 68; William Bright, 65; Janice Bright, 63; Leslie Dennison, 64; Steve Smith, 53; and Lance Smith, 15.

None of the 31 passengers on the boat, a 1944 GMC vehicle operated by Ride the Ducks Branson, were wearing life preservers, according to officials. The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the accident and asked anyone with video of the tragedy to contact their office at [email protected].

Ride the Ducks Branson replaced its usual website with a message offering condolences and financial compensation to those impacted by the tragedy.

“Today, we continue to focus our efforts on the families. We are offering to pay for all related medical bills and funeral expenses, return all personal items from the rescue scene, and assist with any related travel or accommodations that will help the families in their time of need,” the statement read.


Share This Post

Share via

Share This Post

  • Digg
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • SMS
More
  • Report
Advertisement
Ancestry US
261
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It
Brandi Hunter

Brandi Hunter

Brandi Hunter is a multimedia storyteller and strategist based in Memphis, Tennessee. Connect with her on Twitter @branhuntr, or at bhmedia.org.

More Features

Hyepin Im, founder and president of Faith and Community Empowerment

Hyepin Im, Gabriel Salguero, and Al Sharpton Tapped to Advise on Faith-Based Threats

October 5, 2022
anti war protest

Dying in Combat ‘Washes Away Sins,’ Russian Orthodox Leader Says

October 1, 2022
Carlos Rodriguez speaks with CBS Mornings about how The Happy Givers is helping Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Fiona

Despite Devastating Flooding, Christian Nonprofit Still Providing Puerto Ricans With Hot Meals

September 22, 2022

Discussion about this post

Most Shared Articles

  • Can Money-Making Microgrids Empower Black Churches to Close the Clean Energy Gap?...
  • Kirk Franklin Finally Finds His Birth Father After 53 Years...
  • Dr. Tony Evans Engaged to Former Pastor’s Wife and Widow Four Years After Lois Evans’ Death...
  • Coco Gauff Talks Faith After US Open Win: I Don’t Pray for Results; I Pray for Strength....
  • Newark Pastor Timothy Huff Left in Critical Condition After Being Shot in Home...
  • Churches Asked to Ring Bells in Remembrance of Little Girls Killed in Birmingham Church Bombing...

From The Archive

slavery
Opinion & Analysis

Setting the Historical Record Straight for Critics of The New York Times’ 1619 Project

by FM Editors
August 25, 2019
meagan good christmas
Videos

Actress Meagan Good Talks Family, Faith, and Christmas (Video)

by FM Editors
December 15, 2021
Man Raising His Left Hand
Clippings

Florida’s Latino Evangelicals Back DeSantis Amid Fear of New Immigration Law

by FM Editors
July 5, 2023
Charles Stanley
Churches

Charles Stanley Steps Down as Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta (Video)

by Tabitha Oyewole
September 16, 2020
Church of Saint Mary of Zion in Aksum, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Clippings

Ethiopian Church Massacre: 750 People Reportedly Killed at Site Said to House Ark of the Covenant

by FM Editors
January 23, 2021
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Faithfully Magazine

Faithfully Magazine is a news and culture publication centered on Christian communities of color.

Recent News

  • Why Is There Christianity If Jesus Was Jewish?

Category

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

  • News
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Inspiration
  • Web Exclusives
  • Specials
  • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Submit Content
  • Shop
  • Log In to Your Faithfully Magazine Partner Account
No Result
View All Result

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering on our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Share via

Share This Post

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link
  • Tumblr
  • Digg
  • Flipboard
  • SMS

Add New Playlist

Log In

Sign In

Login with Facebook
Login with Twitter
Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
Send this to a friend