'A tragic accident': Swimmers die in hospital days after being rescued from the Merrimack River
Two swimmers who were rescued from the Merrimack River Sunday evening have died after spending days hospitalized in critical condition, Newburyport officials announced Friday afternoon.
Officials identified the swimmers as East Boston resident Dahiana Canas and Lynn resident Vanessa Correa. Both women were 25 years old when they died, officials said in a press release.
Newburyport police and the Essex County District Attorney's Office are still investigating Canas' and Correa's deaths, but authorities' preliminary investigation suggests the women died as a result of 'a tragic accident,' officials said.
On June 8, Newburyport police and firefighters responded to a report of a swimmer in distress near Plum Island Point around 7 p.m., Newburyport officials said previously. At the scene, they discovered that both Canas and Correa needed rescuing from the water.
Read more: Two swimmers in critical condition after being rescued from the Merrimack River
Both women were pulled out of the river by local fishermen before emergency responders could get to them, officials said. Canas and Correa received medical aid at the scene before being taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in critical condition.
The women were later transferred to hospitals in Boston and Burlington, officials said. Correa died on Wednesday, and Canas died the day after.
'As a community, our hearts are heavy with the tragic news that the two young women rescued from the Merrimack River earlier this week have passed away. On behalf of the City of Newburyport, I extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones during this unimaginable time,' Newburyport City Marshal Matthew Simons said in the release.
'We are extremely grateful to the citizens and first responders who fought tirelessly to save them. We ask that the community keep all those involved in this traumatic incident in their thoughts and prayers.'
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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
‘The best of us': Slain Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman mourned by Harvard Kennedy School classmates
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'We send deep condolences to her family, her friends, and to the people of Minnesota on this tragic and saddest of days,' Gilliam said in a statement. Advertisement Kennedy School Professor Richard Parker, who taught Hortman in a class on the presidency and economic growth, said she was a 'everything a Kennedy School professor could want in a student.' 'She was a wonderful young woman,' Parker said. A Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson described Hortman as a 'dedicated and inspiring public servant' in a statement. 'This is a devasting loss for the HKS community, and she will be missed by faculty, staff, and so many alumni who studied with her during her time on campus,' the statement said. That sentiment was echoed by Hortman's classmates, who said they were struck by her unpretentious curiosity and warmth. Vermont state Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale recalled meeting Hortman at a welcome gathering for their class. 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'She was the best of us for the reasons we want people to go into [politics,]' Brown said, his voice breaking. 'It was not self aggrandizing. She didn't run because she liked seeing her name in the paper.' Hortman's killing has sparked a manhunt for the shooter, who police say remains at large as of Sunday evening. Authorities have identified the suspect in the shootings as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Authorities have not yet given details on a motive, but a list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from a fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, officials said. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials. A Minnesota official told the Associated Press that lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. Aschkenasy, who now works for CIRCLE, a youth civic engagement research organization at Tufts University, said Hortman's death has made her reflect on the 'toxicity' and 'threats' she deal with while a select board member — some of which targeted her family, she said. Advertisement 'I don't want to make it about me, but I think about why I chose to get out of politics,' Aschkenasy said. 'It's legitimately dangerous . ' Ram Hinsdale said she first heard of the shooting on social media on Saturday morning, as her kids were napping in their Burlington, Vermont home. She soon learned that Hortman and her husband had not survived. Her first instinct was to stay home and grieve, but that is not what Hortman would have wanted, she said. Instead, Ram Hinsdale attended one of that day's No Kings rallies, in the rural town of Swanton near the Canadian border. 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CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Melissa Hortman, slain Minnesota lawmaker, attended Boston University and Harvard
Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Minnesota state representative who was shot and killed alongside her husband in what Gov. Tim Walz called a politically motivated attack early Saturday morning, was a graduate of Boston University who later went on to study at Harvard University. A massive manhunt is underway in Minnesota for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, who police say shot and killed Hortman and her husband Mark. Boelter allegedly also shot Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette about five miles away. Hoffman and his wife were both injured and subsequently underwent surgery. Melissa Hortman's Boston ties Boston University confirmed that Hortman graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences in 1991 with a bachelor of arts in philosophy and political cience. University president Melissa Gilliam said in a statement to BU Today that the campus community is in shock. "The entire Boston University community grieves the loss of one of our cherished alumnae, Melissa Hortman, who was a beloved and respected public servant. We send deep condolences to her family, her friends, and to the people of Minnesota on this tragic and saddest of days," Gilliam said. In 2020, Hortman earned her midcareer masters in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. Hortman was featured in an alumni profile that year. "Melissa was a dedicated and inspiring public servant. This is a devasting loss for the HKS community, and she will be missed by faculty, staff, and so many alumni who studied with her during her time on campus," a Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson told WBZ-TV in a statement following Hortman's death. The FBI is assisting Minnesota law enforcement in the search for Boelter.


USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Who are Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman, the Minnesota state lawmakers shot on Saturday
Who are Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman, the Minnesota state lawmakers shot on Saturday Show Caption Hide Caption Three Democratic governors testify in House hearing over immigration New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, testify on Capitol Hill over immigration policies. Minnesota State Senator Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in a shooting at their home. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and wounded in a separate attack by the same suspect. Authorities believe the shootings were politically motivated, based on a manifesto found in the suspect's vehicle. A gunman posing as a police officer who killed a senior Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband on Saturday in an apparent "politically motivated assassination," and wounded a second lawmaker and his spouse, remains on the run. "An unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota - my good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination," said Gov. Tim Walz. The gunman went to the Hortmans' residence after shooting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, of Champlin, multiple times, according to Walz and local police. More: Minnesota lawmakers targeted in 'politically motivated assassination,' governor says They underwent surgery, Walz said, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic" that they would survive "this assassination attempt." A major search remains underway for the suspect, who fled on foot after firing at police, abandoning a vehicle in which officers found a "manifesto" listing other legislators and officials, law enforcement officials told a news conference Who is Sen. Melissa Hortman? Sen. Melissa Hortman, 55, was an attorney serving her 11th term on the Minnesota House of Representatives as a Democrat. The Spring Lake Park native was first elected in 2004 after earning her bachelor's in political science/philosophy from Boston University, her law degree from the University of Minnesota, and her Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She was married to Mark Hortman, with whom she had two children. The couple purchased their first house in Brooklyn Park, according to her website, where the shooting took place. Mark was also killed in the shooting. "Together, we can ensure everyone in our community and across the state has access to a quality education, a good paying job, affordable health care, and a successful future," her campaign website reads. Outside of work, she volunteered at the Monroe Elementary School, taught Sunday school at Saint Timothy Catholic Church in Blaine and served on several local organizations, per her website. "Melissa was a good friend and we started in politics at the same time and were always there for each other," U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota, wrote on X. "She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion." Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Chair Richard Carlbom issued a statement calling the attack an "evil act of violence" and "an attack on our democracy itself." "Melissa Hortman represented the best of Minnesota. She was a tireless, devoted public servant who deeply loved our state and devoted her life to making it a better place," Carlbom wrote. Who is Sen. John Hoffman? Sen. John Hoffman, 60, is currently serving his fourth term on the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2012 and later re-elected in 2016, 2020 and 2022. Born in 1965 in Casper, Wyoming, he completed his bachelor's at the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 1988 and later returned to education to graduate from the University of Idaho in 2014. The Democrat went on to be an entrepreneur and executive director after founding his consulting firm, Champlin Hoffman Strategic Advisors. He is married to his wife Yvett, who was also shot and wounded in the attack. The pair share a child contributed to the reporting of this story. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY