Couple who fell through the ice and died on Cape Cod were longtime West Hartford residents

We are learning more about the couple killed in Eastham, Massachusetts after they fell through the ice on Saturday..

Kit and Jerry Boucher were beloved members of the West Hartford community for decades, and condolences from West Hartford have been pouring in.

They fell through the ice on Valentine’s Day while walking their dog.

First responders located Kit, but she did not survive. The search continues for Jerry.

“They just were some of the kindest, caring people you could ever meet,” said Peter Miller, who has known them the last few decades out on Cape Cod.

According to their family, they met at Northwest Catholic High School and raised their family in West Hartford. Kit was a kindergarten teacher at Bugbee Elementary School in town, and Jerry was a longtime employee of Connecticut Natural Gas.

“They have been together since they were 15 and died together on Valentine’s Day. They were best friends throughout life. They were fiercely dedicated to family and friends and made everyone they met feel loved and important,” their daughter, Amy, said in a statement.

The couple moved to the Cape full-time in 2008 after their daughters grew up.

The West Hartford School district also issued a statement.

“West Hartford Public Schools is deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Kathleen “Kit” Boucher and her husband, Jerry, earlier this weekend in Cape Cod.  Kit was a beloved kindergarten teacher at Bugbee Elementary who retired in 2008 after twenty years of faithful service. Kit had a profound impact on her students and the school community; her loss is deeply felt well beyond Bugbee. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family during this very difficult time.”

These types of incidents firefighters consider high risk but low frequency, so they need to train for them and be prepared when they come along. The goal, always trying to avoid these tragedies.

“With the thawing, the freezing, the thawing and freezing, the ice gets weaker,” said Hamden Battalion Chief Jason Blyth.

Ice rescue training has been happening around the state in recent weeks including in towns like Haddam, Old Saybrook, and Cheshire to name a few.

Blyth said they train at least once a year to stay fresh, because emergencies happen.

“Don’t be complacent. You think that ice is thick. Right now it’s above freezing, it’s melting, it weakens the ice, so be aware,” he explained.

He added, people should resist the urge to go running out on the ice to help a loved one or pet. He said call 911 first, and you can use a rope or stick to try to reach the person, but if they fell through, you can too.

“Let us do it, I know your instinct is to jump in and try to save someone, don’t become a victim, be a part of the process helping us solve the problem,” Blyth said.

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