KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three students from Tennessee who were hit by a wave in Brazil are safe as of Friday evening, according to a spokesperson from the College System of Tennessee.
Rick Locker, the spokesperson, said the three students were "not seriously injured" when the wave struck on Thursday. However, he also said a professor from Columbia State Community College was missing as of Friday.
"It’s my understanding that the three students and the professor were walking along an oceanside road and stopped to take their photographs along either boulders or a wall between the road and the ocean when the wave hit them," Locker said in an emailed statement. "We are hoping and praying that the professor is found safe."
He said two of the students were from Pellissippi State Community College and the third was from Walters State Community College. He also said the Pellissippi students were taken to a local medical center and released, and the Walters State Community College student was not injured.
The group was among 12 community college students on a study abroad program in Brazil. Of the 12, eight were from Pellissippi State Community College, two were from Columbia State Community College, one was from Walters State Community College and one was from Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.
The students were offered counseling and early transportation back home was arranged, Locker said.