BOSTON — Investigators are working to determine what led to a deadly boat crash in Boston Harbor that claimed the life of a 24-year-old woman late Wednesday night.
Authorities identified the victim as Lizzie Dankert of Andover, a former student-athlete at Union College and a 2020 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Lawrence.
In a statement shared with Boston 25 on Friday, Rachel Souza, a lifelong friend of Dankert, said she has “no words” to describe the devastating news of her death.
“I have never known a life without Lizzie. For 24 years, we were more than next-door neighbors - we were inseparable. We grew up side by side, sharing every phase of life together. When I think of my childhood, I think of us,” Souza said. “There are no words to describe the loss. I will forever miss having my person across the street and every memory we’ve shared from our very first to our very last. I am heartbroken.”
Dankert died after the boat she was on slammed into a pier near Logan International Airport’s Runway 4R.
Officials say the impact of the crash threw all of the boaters onto rocks lining the shore.
Three other people were on board at the time. They were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive.
Boston 25 News has learned that 40-year-old Lawrence Shieh had taken the boat out from a Seaport dock with Dankert and two 23-year-old women.
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The vessel belongs to the Freedom Boat Club, owned by Brunswick Corporation. A spokesperson said the boat was “taken without authorization and outside normal business hours.”
She played soccer during her time at Union College.
Union College released a statement mourning her passing, saying Dankert was “an exceptional student-athlete who had a tremendous impact during her four years at Union College. Her passing is a profound loss for our campus community.”
Massachusetts State Police and the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
As of Friday morning, no charges have been filed.
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