[Shipyard Sam]

The Cincinnati river community was saddened with the tragic news that SSgt. Nicholas Carnes of the Kentucky National Guard was killed over the weekend in Afghanistan while engaging the enemy in a firefight.

At age 17, Carnes started working at BB Riverboats, Covington, after finishing High School where be became a Captain before leaving for his guard deployment. His wife is Captain Terri Bernstein and his father-in-law is the well-known Captain Alan Bernstein, owner of BB Riverboats and former crew member of the DELTA QUEEN.

Captain Al was quoted as saying, "We're not only going through a personal loss, we're also going through a professional loss."

Captain Carnes is remembered by those who knew and worked with him on the river as a polite and soft-spoken young man who was also said to be "kind, gentle, and loving."