Several members of the West Virginia University Alumni Band and their families were in Nice, France, last week, the day before a terrorist attack killed more than 80 people at a fireworks display.
The band members and guests were planning to attend the fireworks, which had been scheduled for Wednesday night but were postponed for a night because of wind, said Mary Lechliter-King, president of the alumni band.
"That would have been right near were they were staying," Lechliter-King said, adding that she had been keeping up with fellow band members in Facebook. "They were so looking forward to the fireworks. I think, the weather stopping them from having the fireworks that night, it probably saved their life."
A truck loaded with weapons and hand grenades drove onto a sidewalk for more than a mile, plowing through Bastille Day revelers who had gathered to watch fireworks. At least 80 people were killed before police killed the driver, authorities said.
Band members had played a concert at a Nice cathedral the day before the attack. By the time the attack happened, they had moved on to Genoa, Italy, Lechliter-King said.
"There were people posting that this is what it looked like before the attack," she said. "[It looked] so beautiful, so peaceful, such a wonderful country. And to think about it, [they were there] the day that it happened. It was unreal to them. It's so hard to believe."
Lechliter-King got emotional thinking about how close the band members were to disaster.
"Being a member of The Pride of West Virginia and the WVU Alumni Band, we're family," she said, starting to cry. "We're not just a group of people who get together, we're family."
Some of the touring members took to Facebook to let friends and family members know they are OK.
"We are all fine. In Genoa, Italy. Left Nice 16 hours ago," Aaron Fisher wrote on a group page for Alumni Band members.
"Middle of night here - just saw the news," John Hendricks, associate dean of the WVU College of Creative Arts wrote. "We are all safe because we are in Italy. Thank goodness! Thanks [for] concern. It is appreciated!"
A group of about 37 musicians are on the tour, though not all of them are part of the Alumni Band. With family members and guests, the group numbered about 60, she said. The European shows are not official outings for the band, Lechliter-King said. The members paid their own way, she said.
The band members will be back Wednesday. In all, they visited Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland, she said. Lechliter-King, of East McKeesport, Pennsylvania, said she would have gone with the tour had a knee injury not held her up.
"They're great tours," she said.
The WVU Alumni band comprises past members of The Pride of West Virginia marching band at WVU.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.