DANVERS — Relatives of a Massachusetts woman who died after falling into Wenham Lake while walking her dog spoke out about her Thursday and urged other dog owners to be careful when outside this winter.
Fell through ice on the lake
“It’s just the worst, the worst,” said a tearful Susan Kasozi, Owen Kasozi’s sister.
Thirty-year-old Owen Kasozi, originally from Danvers, missing on Christmas Eve while walking her dog along the trails at the JC Phillips Estate in Beverly, as she did every day. Her body was recovered from the icy Wenham Lake on Christmas.
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“It looks more like she was running after Boca, running on thin ice, didn’t realize it was thin ice and it gave out on her,” Susan Kasozi said.
Boca was later found alone in Topsfield and Owen Kasozi’s car was found nearby, but she never returned home.
With temperatures dropping well below freezing on Christmas Eve, it was a nerve-wracking 24 hours for the family, who held out hope until they received the devastating news.
“It’s one of those situations you never want anyone to be in,” says Susan Kasozi.
A “very lively, outgoing person”
Owen Kasozi’s siblings described their sister as a vibrant person who expressed herself with makeup, colorful hairstyles and tattoos.
“Her hair was always colorful,” said her sister, Alex Nakato Kasozi. “It changed every time I walked through the door.”
“A very lively, outgoing person. Attentive,” describes Danstun Kasozi, Owen Kasozi’s brother.
Calling on dog owners to be careful
They said the only thing she loved more than her family was her beloved rescue dog Boca.
“That’s her heart, her soul,” Susan Kasozi said. “I don’t think she stood still while she was chasing him.”
It is that unwavering love that probably cost Owen Kasozi her life. Her siblings will now care for Boca in her memory. Their message for animal lovers is: be careful.
“It’s a split-second decision that can change your life, change your family’s life, change so much,” Susan Kasozi said. “Just be safe.”
An online fundraiser for Owen Kasozi has raised nearly $9,000 as her family plans to lay her to rest.
Safety in the cold
Although temperatures dropped below freezing, Beverly Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Laracy said you really need several days of below-freezing temperatures before you can test the ice.
“It’s been very cold the last two nights, but that’s not enough time to get a good layer of ice that multiple adults can rely on,” Laracy said.
Once you’re in the icy water, the rescuers say time is not on your side.
“It only takes a few minutes for someone to become effectively incapacitated,” Laracy says. “In the cold your brain, your muscles, everything shuts down. You lose strength very quickly and water is colder than air, it takes it out of your body faster.”
Fire officials said one of the best things you can do is always have your phone with you to call 911 or have someone else with you at all times, and never chase after someone who has fallen through thin ice. They said to call for help instead.
Tiffany Chan
