Cascia Hall Grad One Of Two Killed In Boat Crash On Grand Lake

The young woman killed in the crash was 21-year-old Rachel Swetnam, who graduated from Cascia Hall. She was in the front of the boat with Trey Varner, who also died at the scene Tuesday night.

Wednesday, May 15th 2013, 6:58 pm



One of the two people killed in a boat crash on Grand Lake Tuesday evening had ties to Tulsa, while the other was from Arkansas. Both were classmates at the University of Arkansas.

The young woman killed in the crash was 21-year-old Rachel Swetnam, who graduated from Cascia Hall. She was in the front of the boat with Trey Varner, who also died at the scene Tuesday night.

The students and staff at Cascia Hall start their mornings with prayer, but after the accident, the prayer was focused on Rachel Swetnam, one of those killed, who graduated from Cascia three years ago.

"We prayed for her today and for her family, as well, and that started our day off, so she'll be on our hearts and minds all day long," said Headmaster Roger Carter.

5/15/2013 Related Story: GRDA: Speed, Alcohol Played Role In Fatal Boat Crash

Swetnam was a 21-year-old junior at the University of Arkansas, with a background in modeling. She was Miss Teen Oklahoma in 2010.

At Cascia, she entered as a junior when her family moved to Tulsa, before they moved again to Grove.

"She had unlimited potential, and to lose that is just heartbreaking," Carter said.

Swetnam died alongside her friend, Trey Varner, from Texarkana, Arkansas.

"There's really no words to explain him, he was so charismatic. He--everybody loved him. Everybody loved Trey," said Youth Pastor Sandy Seddens.

He was a 21-year-old junior as, well.

Swetnam was in a sorority at Arkansas.

"She was a really sweet girl, we're really going to miss her," said one of her sorority sisters, Cassie Murphy.

Swetnam majored in clothing design and worked at a clothing boutique in Fayetteville, where the store set up a small memorial for her. She was set to graduate next year.

"She was a great young lady, such a sweet, caring young lady, beautiful on the outside, - more importantly, beautiful on the inside," Carter said.

Swetnam's father is a well-known surgeon with a clinic in Grove.

She and Varner were both passengers and one of the survivors was the driver.

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