A young former college soccer player was killed after a late-night boat ride in Boston Harbor ended in tragedy when the vessel slammed into a pier near Logan International Airport, authorities said.
Elizabeth Dankert, known to friends as “Lizzie,” died after the recreational boat crashed into pier 4R around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Massachusetts State Police.
The violent crash happened just off one of the airport’s runways and left the boat badly mangled along the rocky shoreline.
Authorities said the boat was being operated by 40-year-old Lawrence Shieh at the time of the crash. He and two other 23-year-old women aboard the vessel were rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Investigators later revealed that Dankert and her friends had reportedly spent the evening in Boston’s Seaport District before allegedly taking a boat from Freedom Boat Club without authorization.
“The vessel involved was taken without authorization and operated outside the knowledge and control of the Club, well after the Club had closed for the day,” the company said in a statement.
Emergency crews faced difficult rescue conditions after the crash, with responders forced to climb over dark, slippery shoreline rocks to reach the victims.
Boston EMS later released photos showing the crushed center-console boat resting near the pier after the collision.
“In difficult conditions, including darkness and slippery shoreline rocks, EMTs located the scene and began patient care,” the agency said.
Crews worked alongside firefighters to carefully remove all four victims from the rocky shoreline.
Dankert, 24, was from Andover and graduated from Union College in 2024.
During her time at the school in Schenectady, she played soccer and was remembered by the college as an “exceptional” student-athlete who left a lasting impact on campus.
“Her passing is a profound loss for our campus community,” Union College spokesman Phillip Wajda said in a statement.
Friends and former classmates have since flooded social media with tributes remembering Dankert as a talented athlete and beloved friend.
The deadly crash remains under investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
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