Camp Anchor mourns loss of counselors

Votive candles and messages of remembrance adorned the plaza in front of Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church in Floral Park on Monday, as hundreds gathered at a funeral Mass to mourn the deaths of sisters Jamie Malone, 22, and Paige Malone, 19, two of three Camp Anchor counselors who died in a car accident last Thursday as they carpooled to Lido Beach.

The sisters and three others were heading to the Town of Hempstead's camp on the morning of July 15 when the accident occurred on the Meadowbrook Parkway in Roosevelt, police said.

The gray 2010 Honda Civic they were traveling in was heading south in the left lane, and, as it veered to the right lane, police said it left the road and struck a tree. Michael Mulhall, 22, was also killed. His funeral Mass was scheduled for Tuesday at the church. Two other counselors, Kelly Murphy, 20, and Michael's sister, Justine, 20, who was driving the car, were injured in the crash. Both were in stable condition and were released from Nassau University Medical Center.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by state police.

"Our prayers go out to the families in this tragedy, and also to the community of Floral Park, where all three of these young people were from. These were three young adults doing something positive for the community," said Major Walter Heesch, Troop L Commander.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray held a news conference the day of the accident to express her and the town's condolences to the victims' families.

"Members of the Town of Hempstead family are devastated by the tragic car accident that claimed the lives of three young, vibrant and caring counselors from Camp Anchor," Murray said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to the families of these young people. At the same time, we pray for the recovery of the two surviving counselors, and the families and friends of all the victims of this tragedy."