The 17-year-old girl whose body was recovered from the water in a search-and-rescue operation after a boat crashed into a jetty off the coast of Cape Cod late Friday, has been identified as a Dover-Sherborn High School lacrosse standout who was known for her kindness.
The principal of Dover-Sherborn High School, John Smith, announced Sadie Mauro's death in an email to the community on Sunday, saying the rising senior died in a tragic boating accident.
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"Our school community is devastated and heartbroken," Smith wrote. "Sadie’s smile could light up a room, she had a heart of gold and the sweetest spirit."
"She had such a strong sense of self and had a love for adventure and anything outdoors," he added of Mauro. "A hardworking student and great athlete, Sadie was genuine and effortlessly kind."
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Smith said the school's crisis response team had been in communication to plan for student and staff support. The high school library will be open from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Monday for all middle and high school students to gather. There will be members of the counseling team, as well as a crisis counselor from the Riverside Trauma Center and service dogs from both the Dover and Sherborn police departments.
The principal encouraged students to come if they wanted support or community, noting it can be helpful to be together in these times.
Smith also asked everyone to keep Mauro's family in their thoughts and prayers, with Superintendent Beth McCoy adding that Mauro's parents, Jill and Chuck, live in Sherborn with her younger brother, Ian, who is a rising freshman.
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The superintendent went on to address the unexpected and tragic loss of Mauro, noting she will be hugging her children extra tight following the sad news.
McCoy also shared that the Dover-Sherborn community will continue to support each other in the days and weeks ahead as they surround Mauro's family and friends with love and care.
"The Dover-Sherborn community is strong and is known for its strength and resiliency in the face of unimaginable tragedy," she added.
According to the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office, the Dennis Police Department received a 911 call around 9:01 p.m. Friday that a boat had crashed into a jetty in Sesuit Harbor and that a 17-year-old girl was unaccounted for.
The U.S. Coast Guard, the Dennis and Sandwich fire departments, and the Barnstable County Dive Team were involved in the response off Cold Storage Beach in Dennis.
The teen's body was recovered from the water by the regional dive team, with assistance from Dennis Fire-Rescue personnel, around 11:30 p.m. Officials did not release her identity but extended their condolences to her family and friends.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the vessel -- a Regulator equipped with two outboard 250 horsepower engines bearing an Alabama registration -- was occupied by six people at the time of the crash, which occurred at the jetty by the channel leading to the Northside Marina in Sesuit Harbor.
The DA's office said other occupants of the boat were treated at Cape Cod Hospital. At least one boat passenger, a teenage male, had a head laceration.
The cause of the crash is not known at this time. Dive operations were conducted at the crash site Saturday to search for debris from the boat to aid in the investigation.
The crash remains under investigation by multiple agencies, including state and local police, the district attorney's office, and Massachusetts Environmental Police.
