Heartbreaking selfies emerge of San Antonians killed in worst hot air balloon crash in U.S. history

Lorilee, left, and Paige Brabson, right, were killed July 30 in a hot air balloon crash in Lockhart. The father of Paige Brabson's daughter wrote on Facebook July 31 saying, "Yesterday, the beloved mother of my daughter, Paige Brabson and her mother, Lorilee Brabson, both passed away in a tragic hot air balloon accident. All I ask for are prayers and good vibes not just for myself but the Brabson family as well." less Lorilee, left, and Paige Brabson, right, were killed July 30 in a hot air balloon crash in Lockhart. The father of Paige Brabson's daughter wrote on Facebook July 31 saying, "Yesterday, the beloved mother of my ... more Photo: Courtesy/Facebook Photo: Courtesy/Facebook Image 1 of / 92 Caption Close Heartbreaking selfies emerge of San Antonians killed in worst hot air balloon crash in U.S. history 1 / 92 Back to Gallery

It was meant to be a celebration of wedding anniversaries and a belated Mother's Day.

Lorilee and Paige Brabson, a mother-daughter duo, newlyweds Matt and Sunday Rowan and Brian and Tressie Neill, who were celebrating their anniversary, were killed July 30 in a hot air balloon crash in Lockhart. So far, they are the only six people who were from or living in San Antonio at the time of their death.

New photos shared on social media show the hours and moments before 16 were killed after the hot air balloon crashed after striking a power line just after 7 a.m.

RELATED: Local mother, daughter among 6 dead from San Antonio in hot air balloon crash that killed 16

Paige Brabson bought the tickets for her and her mother to celebrate a belated Mother's Day. Photos show them in the air, among the clouds. The Brabsons were originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado before they moved to San Antonio, FOX 31 Denver reported.

Paige Brabson leaves behind an 11-month-old baby girl. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Brabson's. So far, $9,028 has been raised.

Ivan Monterrosa, the father of Paige Brabson's daughter wrote on Facebook July 31 saying, "Yesterday, the beloved mother of my daughter, Paige Brabson and her mother, Lorilee Brabson, both passed away in a tragic hot air balloon accident. All I ask for are prayers and good vibes not just for myself but the Brabson family as well."

RELATED: Tributes pour in for San Antonio couple killed in balloon crash

Brian and Tressie Neill were married for 23 years, according to a GoFundMe page. Brian Neill planned the hot air balloon ride as a surprise for the couple's anniversary, according to Tressie's Facebook page.

The morning of the crash, she wrote, "Up early heading out for the anniversary surprise Brian's had planned for months! I'm super excited!

The couple, who lived in San Antonio, leave behind two daughters, a 20- and 16-year-old. A GoFundMe page, which has raised $25,105 so far, has been set up to cover funeral costs and expenses.

According to the GoFundMe page, Brian Neill texted his brother Curtis a photo of the couple in air saying, "Can you see our reflection in the clouds?"

Matt and Sunday Rowan shared a selfie of them on the hot air balloon with his volleyball teammates before the crash, his brother, Joshua Rowan, told NBC. Matt Rowan was a scientist at Brooke Army Medical Center. Sunday Rowan leaves behind a 5-year-old son from a previous marriage.

A GoFundMe page was set up for the couple Tuesday and so far $780 has been raised. A Matt Rowan Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in Texas A&M University's Department of Chemistry where donations can be made. A joint memorial service for the couple is planned for Saturday in College Station.

A third couple, from Mineral Wells, Texas were also confirmed dead, according to Commonwealth Journal. John and Stacee Gore were celebrating their third wedding anniversary the day of the crash. They leave behind four children.

RELATED: Second San Antonio couple feared killed in balloon crash

Alfred "Skip" Nichols, the pilot of the hot air balloon that crashed Saturday in Central Texas killing 16 including Nichols, had a number of intoxicated driving offenses in Missouri and, in 2010, had his driver's license suspended for 10 years.

Nichols' driving record came out as part of a lawsuit in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, over a 2009 crash landing one of his balloons made in a national forest. That hot air balloon ran out of fuel and hit the ground with enough force to injure one of the passengers, according to court records. The passenger said she required about $2,000 in physical therapy, according to the personal injury lawsuit filed in 2012. It was later settled.

Nichols's license was initially suspended for 10 years in 2002, but he was arrested again in 2007, records show. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to aggravated DWI, meaning he had at least three prior convictions. That guilty plea resulted in another 10-year suspension, according to a 2013 deposition Nichols gave as part of the lawsuit.

RELATED: Pilot of balloon that crashed in Texas had driver's license suspended twice for DWI

Federal Aviation Administration records show that Nichols' commercial pilot's license for hot air balloons was current at the time of Saturday's crash. He first received his pilot's license in 1996 and it was updated in 2014 when he changed his address. It wasn't immediately clear whether his pilot's license had ever been suspended.

Saturday's crash is the deadliest of its kind in U.S. history. Before, 60 hot air balloon accidents occurred since 2011, with five resulting in seven deaths, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, the operator of the balloon, has canceled all flights for the "foreseeable future." Previously, the company received a D+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident, and will look at weather conditions, the balloon's maintenance records, the pilot, and the company.

Staff writers Jason Buch and Sig Christenson contributed to this report.

News researcher Misty Harris contributed to this report.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter:@kbrad5