A woman from New York, described as having a “heart of gold,” tragically lost her life in a tragic boating accident on Lake Michigan late Thursday night. This incident also left four others injured.
Joanna Gregory, 26, died after her boat collided with another vessel near Chicago’s Monroe Harbor around 11:30 p.m., according to Jason Luck, the deputy district chief of marine diving operations for the Chicago Fire Department. Unfortunately, she passed away Friday morning after being rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Originally from Rochester, New York, Gregory had recently relocated to Chicago, beginning a new job as a pediatric occupational therapist in February, as noted on her LinkedIn profile.
“She had a heart of gold… I just can’t comprehend how someone so kind could be taken from us,” her father, Douglas Gregory, expressed.
The accident involved two vessels—a 38-foot and a 42-foot boat—located approximately 2.4 miles from Monroe Harbor, a popular spot in downtown Chicago, as reported by officials. The three injured boaters were on the boat that was hit, while the other vessel was reportedly on top of it during the collision.
It’s unclear which boat Joanna was aboard at the time of the incident.
“It was clearly a violent collision,” Luck remarked, adding that the crash ejected two people into the water, though they were rescued by others onboard before emergency responders arrived.
Authorities are investigating potential involvement of alcohol or drugs, as well as whether the struck boat had its lights on during the accident.
Conditions at the time of the accident—notably weather and water—were not thought to contribute to the tragedy.
The ages of the passengers involved ranged from about 18 to 26 years.
“There are a lot of questions that won’t be answered until all the investigations are complete,” Luck noted.
Gregory, a Gannon University graduate in Pennsylvania, was also remembered for her time as a Division II volleyball player.
The Gannon University Athletics Department issued a statement expressing heartfelt condolences, stating that Joanna would always be remembered as part of the Golden Knight family.
