7th grade girl dies in boating accident while vacationing with family, MA school says
This story was updated March 28 at 9:15 a.m. to include a statement from James Jette, the superintendent of Milton Public Schools.
A Massachusetts school is mourning the loss of a seventh grade student who died in a boating accident while on vacation with her family.
Cassidy Murray, 13, was killed in the accident in Aruba on March 23, according to a letter from the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge that was sent to the school community and provided to McClatchy News.
“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,” her family wrote in a statement.
Murray transferred to Buckingham Browne & Nichols’ middle school in fall 2021 following a recommendation from her older brother, who is in tenth grade, head of school Jennifer Price wrote in the letter.
“She wasted no time creating her own unique mark on the MS campus. Her ever-present smile, infectious laugh, and upbeat personality knit together any group she was a part of.”
Price described Murray as ready to take “on new challenges with a sense of adventure and joy,” including how she joined the hockey team this winter to play the sport for the first time.
Before changing schools, Murray had attended Pierce Middle School and Glover Elementary School within the Milton Public Schools district, where she “left an indelible impression on her peers and the faculty and staff,” Superintendent James Jette told McClatchy News in a statement.
Additionally, Price wrote that “Cassidy was also proud of her Irish heritage, which was displayed beautifully with a claddagh-ring mug and celtic-cross plate that she made in ceramics class.”
An Irish dance school in Boston, Scoil Rince Naomh Attracta, shared a Facebook post March 25 remembering Murray, writing she was a “loved member” there.
They called her death “untimely’” and shared photos of her when she was younger, donning a mini tiara next to other children at the 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,” Jette said.
The middle school was open for two hours on Saturday, March 26, for students and parents to get together with counselors, teachers and advisors to grieve, Price wrote.
Counselors will speak with students on Monday, March 28, “about how to reach out for support for themselves and each other,” Price added.
“With senseless tragedies such as this, the truth is that there is no universally ‘right’ way to cope with the situation. Each of us, adults and children, who are affected by this acutely sad news will need to grieve and process in our own unique way.”
Jette said his “thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and all those who are deeply affected by Cassidy’s death.”
Aruba is a small island located off the coast of South America.
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 5:08 PM with the headline "7th grade girl dies in boating accident while vacationing with family, MA school says."
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