Barrington High School is offering counseling and support services to its students and staff after learning that a former student and his mother died in the fatal plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night.
Spencer Lane, a figure skater who attended Barrington schools until 2023, and his mother Christine Lane, were among the 64 people on the American Airlines jet when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter around 9 p.m. Wednesday. No survivors have been recovered.
“Spencer was a talented and driven young athlete with a bright future, and this is an unimaginable loss,” Barrington Public Schools Superintendent Rob Wargo said in a statement Thursday. “As our community grieves alongside the nation, we encourage everyone to lean on one another and seek support during this difficult time. We will remember Spencer for his compassion, dedication, and tenacity, and we will honor the memory of both Christine and Spencer by spreading kindness, positivity, and unity in our district.”
Spencer, 16, and his mom, were among a group of six skaters, coaches and parents with The Skating Club of Boston on the plane. They were returning from a U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp, said Skating Club CEO and Executive Director Doug Zeghibe.
“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe wrote in a statement posted to Facebook Thursday morning. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 or 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like a family.”
Jinna Han, a skating club member who lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and her mother Jin Han, were also on the plane, along with coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, according to Zeghibe.
“Spencer was one of the most talented athletes we’ve ever seen on the ice here at The Skating Club of Boston,” said the center’s director, Mia Bailey.
“We are talking about a 16-year-old who had their whole life in front of them on and off the ice. We were just fortunate to know him as a good person and an athlete.”
Bailey said she last saw Spencer on Sunday afternoon at his practice at the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas. She returned home ahead of Spencer, on Monday.
“He was looking stronger than ever,” she said. “He was excited about the opportunity. He had earned his spot there, much like the other athletes. Spencer had big dreams. He was destined to be on Team USA. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of figure skating.”
Spencer “transitioned out” of Barrington High School in late 2023 to pursue a figure skating career, Wargo said.
In an interview with WPRI-TV 12, Douglas Lane, Spencer’s dad, described his son as “a force of nature,” and “loved by everyone.”
Douglas and Christine Lane adopted Spencer and Spencer’s younger brother, Milo, from South Korea, WPRI reported.
“Our family is devastated by the loss of Christine and Spencer,” read a statement from the Lane family released by their neighbor Ken Block.
“Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly
endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo. She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes.
The statement continued: “Spencer can only be described as a force of nature. You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something. There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented. We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family.
The Lane family also said they were hurting from the loss of Spencer’s “talented and kind coaches, Genia and Vadim, and all of the wonderful friends Christine and Spencer were sharing their journey with.”
In addition to mental health counselors and social workers, the Barrington School District is also bringing the Barrington Police Department’s comfort dog, Levi, to the high school to provide support for students and staff, Wargo said.
Victor Morente, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Education, said resources for students and staff affected by tragedy are determined by individual school districts.
“We are heartbroken by this tragic news and send our condolences to family and loved ones of the victims during this difficult time,” Morente said in an emailed statement Thursday. “RIDE is aware that Barrington Public Schools is providing the school community services and has offered additional support if necessary.”
Barrington Town Council President Braxton Howard Cloutier plans to formally honor the family as part of the council’s next scheduled meeting on Feb. 3.
“Our thoughts are with the family at this time,” Cloutier said in an interview Thursday morning. “We definitely share in their grief.”
Cloutier said it was too early to announce additional events or resources, but stressed the importance of mental health services for the community.
In a post on X, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo said community members in Barrington were in his thoughts and prayers.
“Keeping the victims of the tragic plane crash at DCA and their families in my thoughts and prayers today, including the Barrington, RI community members who lost their lives. Thank you to the first responders for their immediate recovery efforts and ongoing work,” Amo wrote.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
