Johanna Gregory was the heart of her family.
The 26-year-old West Loop resident loved fiercely and never missed an opportunity to tell those she cared about she loved them, her mother said.
“She was the very best of us,” Heidi Schult Gregory told the Tribune in an email. “This world just lost a beautiful soul.”
Gregory died in a late Thursday night boat crash near Monroe Harbor that left at least four other young adults seriously injured. The two recreational boats collided with each other on Lake Michigan about a mile and a half offshore around 11:45 p.m., said Jason Lach, a deputy district chief for the Chicago Fire Department, at a Friday morning news conference.
A 33-foot cabin cruiser motorboat carrying nine passengers struck a smaller vessel carrying five passengers while the boats were coming back into port, either Monroe Harbor or Burnham Harbor, according to Lach and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. IDNR is handling the investigation.
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It was a “definite hard collision,” but because there’s no camera footage, Lach said he doesn’t know if it was a rear or side collision.
The five people on the smaller vessel were transported to Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, four of whom were in critical condition, fire officials said. They ranged in age from about 18 to 26, he said.
The nine passengers on the other boat refused treatment at the scene, he said.
Gregory, one of the people rescued, died early Friday morning, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy to determine the cause of her death has yet to occur.
Gregory worked as a pediatric occupational therapist, according to her mom. Schult Gregory said her daughter loved her job, her clients and her families.
She also described her daughter as “innately empathetic” and someone who “connected easily with people.” She was a transplant from Rochester, New York, who loved living “her best life” in Chicago and had a wide circle of friends.
“She made a difference each and every day in the lives of those little kids,” Schult Gregory said. “She will be missed by all who had the great privilege of knowing her.”
Gregory also graduated from Gannon University. Meghan Morphy, Gannon University’s director of athletics, said in a statement that she was a “beloved member of our volleyball program and Gannon family.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time,” she said.
Lach said the cause of the crash, including whether drugs or alcohol had any role, remains under investigation. He doesn’t believe lake conditions played a part.
“There’s a lot of questions that we can’t answer until all the investigation is done. If they had all their lights on … how was everybody’s condition on the boat,” Lach said.
He said a passenger onboard one of the boats called for help and that rescuers were at the scene within about seven minutes. Everyone involved with the crash is cooperating with authorities, he added.
Lach also shared boat safety tips at the news conference. He said there should be life preservers on board for every passenger and that the boat should have its running lights on at night.
“Make sure that everybody understands as well that if you see something early, say something,” Lach said. “Understand that the water and weather conditions can change in a heartbeat, and then operating at night, know how you can navigate safely and properly out there.”