A New York woman, celebrated for her gracious spirit, tragically lost her life in a devastating multi-boat accident on Lake Michigan late Thursday night. The incident also left four others with serious injuries.
The victim, 26-year-old Johanna Gregory, was killed when one boat reportedly overtook another, leading to a crash around 11:30 p.m. near Chicago’s Monroe Harbor. Jason Lach, Deputy District Chief of the Chicago Fire Department’s Marine Dive Operations, shared details with reporters on Friday.
Despite being rushed to the hospital in critical condition, Gregory succumbed to her injuries early Friday morning.
Originally from Rochester, NY, Gregory had moved to Chicago, where she worked as a pediatric occupational therapist. She had embarked on a new chapter in her career this February, as per her LinkedIn profile.
Her father, Douglas Gregory, expressed his grief to the Chicago Sun-Times, saying, “She had a heart of gold, and it’s incomprehensible to me how such a sweet soul could be taken from us.”
The two boats involved in the fatal crash, a 38-foot and a 42-foot vessel, were roughly 1.5 miles from Monroe Harbor, a popular docking spot in Downtown Chicago, officials said.
The three boaters left in critical condition were riding on the boat that was struck as the second vessel rode on top of the other, Lach said.
Officials didn’t reveal which boat Gregory had been a passenger on.
“It was a definite hard collision,” Lach said.
Two people were thrown overboard from the force of the crash, but both boaters were rescued by other passengers before first responders arrived at the scene.
Detectives are investigating if alcohol or drugs were involved and if the boat that was struck had lights on at the time of the crash.
Water and weather conditions are not believed to have played a role in the fatal collision, Lach said.
The boat passengers ranged in age from approximately 18 to 26.
“There’s a lot of questions we can’t answer until all the investigations done,” Lach said.
Gregory, a graduate of Gannon University in Pennsylvania, was remembered after her time as a Division II volleyball player.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Johanna’s family, friends, former teammates, coaches, and all who knew and loved her. She will always be remembered as a member of the Golden Knight family,” the Gannon University Athletics Department said.