Middle school student from Milton dies in a boating accident in Aruba

MILTON, Mass. — Classmates and teachers are mourning the loss of a middle school student from Milton who died in a boating accident while on vacation in Aruba.

The Superintendent of the Milton Schools, Thomas Jette, confirmed Cassidy Murray’s passing, reflecting on her achievements as a student when she attended schools in Milton. Cassidy Murray most recently attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols Middle School in Cambridge.

Cassidy’s family released a statement Friday afternoon.

“It is with broken hearts that we share the news of the tragic passing of our daughter, Cassidy. Cassidy’s beautiful spirit, genuinely kind heart, bright mind, and joyful zest for life will be profoundly missed by all who knew and loved her. We thank everyone for their love and support and we ask that you please give us the time and space to grieve together privately during this difficult time,” said the family.

In a letter to its school community, BB&N said Cassidy died in a boating accident while on vacation with her family in Aruba.

“Our entire BB&N community is profoundly heartbroken as we grieve the loss of Cassidy. She joined our Middle School this fall and immediately created a unique mark on our campus. Cassidy had a special gift for uniting classmates with her smile, laugh, and genuine kindness. People just gravitated to her, drawn by her great sense of fun and camaraderie. We are holding the Murray family close in our thoughts and hearts, especially her brother Adam who is a 10th grader at BB&N. Here on campus, we are doing our best to support our students and each other as we all navigate this unimaginably difficult situation. To put it simply, we are devastated,” according to the statement from BB&N.

“We all hold the Murray family—Linda, David, and Adam—close in our thoughts and hearts. At this moment, as we all struggle to make sense of this tragic news, we need to support each other, and especially Cassidy’s and Adam’s classmates and friends, as we navigate through the complex process of coping with our grief.” said BB&N Head of School Jennifer Price.

“Cassidy entered the Middle School this year as a 7th grader, based in part on the strong recommendation of her brother Adam, a BB&N 10th grader who joined the Middle School four years ago. She wasted no time creating her own unique mark on the MS campus,” said Price in her letter to the school community. “Her ever-present smile, infectious laugh, and upbeat personality knit together any group she was a part of. Classmates gravitated to her because of her genuine kindness and quiet modesty. Her friends knew from the very first week of school that she would be a trusted, warm confidant with a great sense of fun and camaraderie. Cassidy was also known for taking on new challenges with a sense of adventure and joy, whether it was drama class, where she was always up for any game or scene, or playing hockey this winter for the first time—after many years dedicated to gymnastics.”

Prince said BB&N will open its middle school on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for students and parents to meet with counselors, teachers, and advisors.

“It is so important in these incredibly challenging times for our BB&N community to ‘be there’ for each other, both literally and figuratively,” said Price.

Milton School Superintendent Thomas Jette says he was informed of Cassidy’s death on Thursday.

“Cassidy was an outstanding and joyful grade 7 student at Pierce Middle School last year,” said Jette. “Cassidy transferred to BB&N for this academic year. Despite transferring, Cassidy left an indelible impression on her peers and the faculty and staff at both the Glover Elementary School which she attended prior to Pierce Middle School.”

“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of this vibrant young girl who had so much to offer and her whole life ahead of her,” said Jette. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and all those who are deeply affected by Cassidy’s death.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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