The Eastham Police Department confirmed the identities of the victims on Tuesday.

By Ronni Newton

The Eastham (Massachusetts) Police Department on Tuesday afternoon, with the permission of the family, confirmed the identities of two victims who drowned after falling through the ice while walking their dog at Bee’s River, First Encounter Beach on Saturday, Feb. 14, as Gerard Boucher, 72, and Kathleen Boucher, 71, of Eastham.

The Bouchers, who went by Jerry and Kit, were formerly longtime West Hartford residents. A WHDH news report stated that Kit Boucher was a former kindergarten teacher, and local residents said she had taught at Bugbee Elementary School. Jerry Boucher formerly worked for Connecticut Natural Gas. They retired and moved to Eastham on Cape Cod about 18 years ago, and according to a Boston.com report they often walked their black lab along Bee’s River.

The Eastham Police Department initially said in a news release that they had first received a report at 9:07 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, of a wet dog who was loose in the First Encounter Beach parking lot and appeared to be in distress.

An officer who responded to the scene “heard a woman screaming for help in the area of Bee’s River,” saw that the woman had fallen through the ice and attempted to rescue her – but he, and a second officer who arrived at the scene, also fell through the ice. The officers were able to successfully make it back to shore, and a full scale rescue effort began that involved the Eastham Fire Department and the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team and Dive Team. Police said the female victim, now identified as Kit Boucher, was located under the ice at 11:12 a.m. “She was unfortunately pronounced deceased at the scene,” police said in their news release.

A police investigation determined that her husband, Jerry Boucher, had been walking with Kit and their dog, and the dive team continued to search for him on Saturday and Sunday, as well as on Tuesday when tidal conditions allowed.

A news release issued by the Eastham Police Department on Tuesday stated that “an additional extensive search operation was conducted at Bee’s River. This multiagency search included personnel and assets from the Eastham Police and Fire Departments, Massachusetts State Police Dive Team and Airwing, Barnstable County Technical Rescue and Dive Team, Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, Massachusetts Department of Fire Service, and Providence Canteen. Units began arriving at 7am, and the operation concluded at approximately 1:30pm. Ice conditions were favorable early in the day and allowed divers to enter the water and conduct a broad search of Bee’s River. Multiple drones and the MA State Police Airwing provided an aerial search of the area as well. After approximately 4 hours the incoming tide returned large amounts of ice to Bee’s River, making an ongoing water search ineffective. Ice conditions will continue to be monitored, and additional water searches may occur in the coming days.”

Police said the dog is being cared for by family members.

Massachusetts State Rep. Steve Xiarhos (5th–Barnstable), gave We-Ha.com permission to share the following comments that he had posted on his Facebook page.

“We are absolutely heartbroken over the tragic loss of Kit Boucher and the ongoing search for her husband Jerry in Eastham,” wrote Xiarhos. “They were both part of our Cape Cod Athletic Club, a wonderful group of friends and fellow runners from all over Cape Cod. If you run on the Cape, chances are you knew them or saw them. They were always out there, always moving, always together. They loved this place. They loved the beaches, the water, and their dog. They loved life and they loved each other. This is such a tragedy in so many ways. A loving couple. A family shattered. A running community grieving. An entire town shaken. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with their family as they face the unimaginable. No words can ease that kind of pain. My thoughts are also with the brave first responders involved, from the 911 telecommunicators who took that first call, to the Eastham police officers who went into the freezing water without hesitation, to the fire crews, dive teams, and search teams who continue to do everything they can. They put their own lives at risk trying to save others. That is courage. That is service. And we are grateful. Please keep everyone affected in your prayers. Hold your loved ones close. Life can change in an instant. God bless.”

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