Friends and family of three Dickinson State University students have visited the pond where the three died this week.

About 30 people made the trip to a pasture northwest of Dickinson where an SUV with the three young women plunged into a stock pond Sunday night.

Their submerged vehicle was discovered late yesterday afternoon.

Tom Gerhardt reports on what authorities believe may have happened in the tragic accident that was followed by frantic phone calls for help.

The calls that came into this cell tower led search teams to this area northwest of Dickinson

It's an area the three women would have been driving in the dark Sunday night. It's a rugged area leading to an open fieldand eventually their deaths

At approximately 4:10 mst the Dickinson Dive and Rescue team discovered a vehicle submerged in that stock pond. The vehicle was pulled from the stock pond and identified as the white 1997 Grand Jeep Cherokee bearing California license plate Minutes laterat 4:29pmthe bodies of Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, and Ashley Neufeld were discovered trapped inside

the vehicle was pulled out the doors were closed the windows were all closed so as far as any attempt there we dont know if there was an attempt. Tuhy says the Cherokee was pulled out on its wheels. He described the pond as ten feet deep. He says there was high grass around the water but no other warning signs

the visibility when its dark of course when your not familiar with an area like that it would have been very easy to drive into the pond Authorities say the frantic calls that were placed are the reason the bodies were located

Tuhy says they were able to focus on a two mile radius that eventually led them to this area

Without that we'd probably be looking a long time, a large area. We didn't know where to look

Tuhy says had the women called 911it may have helped authorities pinpoint the location more quickly. But he says he doesn't know if it would have made a difference in saving their lives.

Along with the three womenNeufeld's dog was also found inside the SUV.

At this pointauthorities are not saying if anything else was found inside the Jeep. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list