EASTHAM — Eastham police have released the names of the woman who died after falling through the ice off First Encounter Beach on Cape Cod on Valentine’s Day and her husband, who remains missing and is believed to have fallen through the ice as well.
Eastham police identified the victims as Kathleen Boucher, 71, of Eastham, and Gerard Boucher, 72, of Eastham, and said the names were released with permission from the family, according to a press release issued Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, at approximately 9:07 a.m., the Eastham Police Department received a report of a loose dog in the First Encounter Beach parking lot. According to a previously released joint statement from Eastham police and fire officials, a responding officer heard a woman calling for help and located her in the water after she had fallen through the ice about 30 feet from shore near Bee’s River.
More: Woman dies after falling through ice on Cape Cod, husband still missing
Officials said the officer went onto the ice in an attempt to pull her to safety, but the ice gave way and both the officer and the woman were submerged. A second officer also fell through the ice while attempting to assist. Both officers were able to return to shore and were transported to Cape Cod Hospital for evaluation due to cold-water exposure.
Divers later located Kathleen Boucher underneath the ice at approximately 11:12 a.m., and she was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Investigators later determined Gerard Boucher had been with his wife at the beach that morning walking their dog and likely fell through the ice prior to the arrival of emergency personnel and did not resurface.
On Tuesday, Feb. 17, Eastham police said an additional multiagency search was conducted from about 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Officials said early ice conditions allowed divers to conduct a broad search of See’s River, but the incoming tide later returned large amounts of ice to the area, making continued water searching ineffective. Police said ice conditions will continue to be monitored and additional searches may occur in the coming days.
Eastham police and fire officials expressed condolences to the friends and family of the victims and thanked regional partners assisting with the ongoing search.
