CASTINE, Maine — The days, weeks and months to come will be tough for the Maine Maritime Academy community after a car crash early Saturday morning killed four students.
"There's like a depressing mood over the whole place," sophomore Christian Trujillo said. "You know, it's hard to express."
Some feel the right words may not come for a long time.
"It will take a while for this immediate shock and sadness to process," said Florence Young, director of programs at The Center For Grieving Children. "There's no magic words that are going to make this sadness go away."
Families, friends, and the entire MMA community is feeling the loss of Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, Maine; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, Maine; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Massachusetts; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, Massachusetts.
Three other students survived the crash with injuries.
Although they may not have the words to make the sadness fade, Young said grieving is not linear.
"Folks might feel helpless or hopeless, and it's so hard to understand why this kind of awful accident could happen and to lose such a wonderful young people," she said.
She urged people to reach out to those struggling with the loss and that "listening can be the most important thing."
If you are seeking support during a difficult time in your life, you can call Maine's crisis line at 1-888-568-1112 to speak with a specialist who can offer over-the-phone support.