A 26-year-old West Loop woman, who was killed when two boats collided in Monroe Harbor overnight, was “the sweetest human being,” her father said.
Johanna H. Gregory was among 14 people aboard two boats involved in the collision, which happened a few minutes before midnight.
“She had a heart of gold and was the sweetest human being and I don’t understand how someone so sweet could be taken from us,” Douglas Gregory told the Sun-Times through tears.
Three other people were in serious-to-critical condition at area hospitals, and a fourth was in fair condition, all suffering injuries from the crash, the Chicago Fire Department said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Gregory, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
According to her father, Johanna was a pediatric occupational therapist “who treated a number of young children between six months old and 4 years old.”
Elizabeth Benney, a former coworker, was shocked to learn of the fatal collision.
Benny worked with Gregory at EB Pediatric Resources, 633 W. Addison St., before Gregory moved on to another job about February, 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Gregory worked primarily with children from birth to age 3 whose families were in the Early Intervention program.
“She was a skilled occupational therapist,” Benney said in an email, and she made “a significant impact on many families here in Chicago while working with us.”
Parents and caretakers who learned from Gregory significantly increased their child’s developmental progress, Benney added. The families in Gregory’s care loved her, she said.
And when Gregory left for another company, almost all of the staff gathered to wish her well, Benney said.
“We’ve really missed her,” Benney said.
At a noon media briefing Chicago Fire Deputy District Chief Jason Lach detailed how the chaotic situation unfolded as they received at least one 911 call placed by someone on the recreational boats, one of which was 38-feet and the other 42-feet long.
“The call for help came in from one of the passengers on the boat. I don’t know which boat,” Lach said. It was a cellphone, he added, saying the boats had been on the lake all day long.
“Sometime last night, around 11:30 p.m., two vessels were coming back into port,” Lach said. “We’re not exactly sure if they were both coming back in here to Monroe or Burnham harbor. One vessel overtook another one and there was a collision that happened,” Lach told reporters.
“It was a definite hard collision,” Lach added, saying while it is possible that one boat was rear-ended by the other, they cannot be sure. One of boats — the one which had the critical victims on board — sustained much more damage than the other.
“There is nothing on camera because it happened about a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half offshore. It could have been a side-impact,” Lach said.
In the darkness, rescuers spotted lights on their boats and were on scene within seven minutes.
Two people ended up in the water that were quickly helped back aboard a boat by the people involved in the accident. By the time rescuers arrived, everyone was back on the boats.
“They had their lights on when they were brought in and when the rescue vessels from CFD showed up on scene they did have lights on, that’s how we were able to see them,” Lach said, adding their rescue operation was “challenging at best.”
The water was about 65 degrees and waves “rollers” were 1-2 feet, he said.
“The water was moving pretty good but it wasn’t white cap conditions where it makes it even more dangerous,” Lach said.
“At night, we add another layer on with limited visibility,” Lach said. “We also had minor wave conditions which makes it even more difficult to transfer patients from one vessel to another.
When asked if there was any alcohol involved, he said he didn’t know. “At this time everybody is cooperating fully with the investigation.”
When asked if there has been an uptick in boat crashes, Lach said no.
“We do have accidents out on the lake on a regular basis,” Lach said. “Some are a lot more minor than this. This one is a major accident under investigation.”
Lach urged boaters to be always be cautious, especially at night.
“During the day is one thing, during the night is another. Make sure you have your running lights on. Make sure you have a knowledgeable person or two on the vessel that understands how to operate the boat. Make sure there is a life preserver for everybody out there operating in the lake,” Lach said. “Make sure you enjoy, but respect everybody else out there.”
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation, with the Coast Guard assisting, as well as Chicago police.
Meanwhile, at Monroe Harbor Friday afternoon, 23-year-old professional captain Matt Neylon reflected on the tragedy and on safety.
Boating at night can be dangerous because visibility is reduced, especially far away from the harbor, like where this crash happened, Neylon told the Sun-Times.
“And if you’re going fast … it’s kind of hard to see other boats, especially if they’re not properly set up,” Neylon, of Wrigleyville, said as he prepared a boat.
Neylon said he does not feel more cautious after the deadly collision. These accidents happen every so often, he said, but boaters are trained to avoid them.
“I know these situations happen, and I know how to prevent it,” said Neylon, who has worked in the harbor for four years. “I feel really bad. … I just wish the best for everybody in that situation.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
