BOSTON (WHDH) - The Skating Club of Boston Thursday hosted a public vigil at Boston Common’s Frog Pond to honor those from the skating community who lost their lives in the Washington, D.C plane crash one year ago.
The club lost six members, coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, skater Spencer Lane and his mother Christine, and skater Jinna Han and her mother Jin, when their American Airlines flight 5342 collided with and a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter in mid-air over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025. Sixty-seven people in total were killed in the crash.
“Flight 5342 didn’t just take six of my friends. It reminded me to love what I have in front of me,” said Jimmy MA, a Team USA skater.
The solemn event included a moment of silence, on-ice performances, and a moment of reflection where attendees lit the pond with glow sticks while the victims’ names were read aloud.
Governor Maura Healey also paid her respects.
“People care about their loved ones, we remember their loves ones. We will be inspired to do good and work hard in their memory,” Healey said.
The Skating Club of Boston said it chose to have the memorial on Boston Common instead of their own facility due to the outpouring of support they’ve received from the public.
“I think there was a fair amount of tears tonight, I think it also helps in the healing process,” said Doug Zeghibe, CEO and Executive Director of The Skating Club of Boston. “I think we’re all in disbelief that it’s been a year. Added disbelief when you hear from the hearings and the reports how senseless this was.”
The National Transportation Safety Board held a hearing on the plane crash Tuesday and found that it was 100 percent preventable.
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