‘This was their place:’ Family, friends describe heartbreak after mom who fell through ice dies as search for dad continues

The family of an elderly Massachusetts couple is grieving after a tragic weekend accident on Cape Cod.

The high school sweethearts had been on a “normal” walk on Saturday before seemingly encountering trouble. Kathleen “Kit” Boucher, 71, died after being spotted half-submerged in the ice on Bee’s River. Two police officers also fell through the ice trying to rescue her, but managed to get to safety. Their dog had been spotted loose and wet on a nearby beach, officials said.

Her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Boucher, 72, remains missing.

Rescuers searched for Jerry over the weekend but stopped due to dangerous ice conditions. The search resumed Tuesday using divers, drones, and helicopters, with authorities hoping to continue Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

The couple’s daughters, Katy Boucher and Amy Lawson, said in a joint statement Tuesday to NBC Boston, “Our family is devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved parents, Kit and Jerry Boucher. We are deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of the first responders in Eastham. We are thankful for the outpouring of love, and appreciate the privacy and discretion the community is extending to our family during this unimaginably difficult time.”

“They walk all the beaches, all the time. They loved being on Cape Cod, they loved living here. This was their place,” said Dawn Varnum, who knew the Bouchers well, told the outlet,

Kit and Jerry celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year, Lawson told the New Haven Register.

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

Boucher said her parents took their dog for a walk on Valentine’s Day, a daily routine for her mother, likely joined by her father due to the holiday.

“When I arrived at their home after hearing the news,” Boucher said about their disappearances, “I could see their Valentine cards and chocolates on the kitchen table. They were just going to do their normal thing. My sister keeps saying, ‘They died alive.’ ”

Massachusetts State Representative Steve Xiarhos also sent his condolences to the family, posting on Facebook, “We are absolutely heartbroken over the tragic loss of Kit Boucher and the ongoing search for her husband Jerry in Eastham,” sharing a photo of the couple.