I can't imagine their pain

I've never lost anyone close to me to a sudden accident, war, or act of God, and hopefully never will. I guess I'm lucky. The closest I've come is a young man I was helping with computers back when we were in school. He was killed when his wheelchair was hit by a car in what could have been either an accident or a suicide--we were never sure. But the sudden loss where one day someone you love is there and the next day they're just not--that's something I've never, thankfully, dealt with in terms of my family or someone I knew well. But I have a lot of sympathy for those who have because, well, it's a big fear we try not to give in to, isn't it, losing our loved ones in the blink of an eye?

So when I read this, even though it happened half a world away, I was very moved for the people who have lost loved ones in a senseless tragedy during what should have been a happy celebration. My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

Birthday boat sinks in southern Vietnam; 15 dead

A tour boat cruising a river to celebrate a 3-year-old's birthday capsized during a violent storm in southern Vietnam, killing the boy, four other children and 10 adults, officials said Saturday.

Divers recovered the bodies from the Saigon River on Saturday afternoon, but one passenger remained missing, said Trieu Van Giau, head of Binh Duong provincial waterway police.

Several people managed to swim to safety after the double-decker, restaurant-style boat capsized Friday evening about 100 yards (meters) from the terminal, said Le Van Hieu, chief of Binh Nham village in Binh Duong province, 19 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of Ho Chi Minh City.

"It's horrible to see the birthday party for that 3-year-old boy turn into a tragedy," he said.

The sinking is being investigated, but the heavy rains and violent winds occurring at the time were blamed.

According to state-run media, a Vietnamese businessman was throwing the birthday celebration. The reports said the father managed to survive, but that nine family members — including his wife, son and 6-year-old daughter — did not make it to shore.