AUSTIN, Texas – Family members and friends of Shawn Hurwitz are still in shock after his sudden death early Sunday morning.
Authorities say Hurwitz, along with four other adults were involved in a deadly boating accident on Lake Austin. The boat hit a barge around 5 a.m. Sunday.
"It sounded like an explosion," said a neighbor. "I heard the chopper hovering, trying to find a place to land," they said.
Hurwitz died at the scene and 34-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Walley died after she was rushed to the hospital.
"Jennifer was a LifeWorks volunteer, working to raise resources and awareness of issues faced by homeless youth in Austin," said a spokesperson close to the Walley family. "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and join her family and friends in honoring the impact she made to our community."
Shawn Hurwitz, who was 50 years old, was not only a business man but a huge financial supporter for KIPP charter schools.
"He was my mentor, a friend, and really like a big brother to me," said Mike Feinberg who is the Co-Founder of KIPP Schools. "Without Shawn's faith in our mission and wise counsel, KIPP would never have grown to reach so many children in Houston and across the country, and served as a catalyst for so many other public schools to do similar transformative work. All told, hundreds of thousands of children have a new-found freedom to succeed in school and life because Shawn Hurwitz cleared a path.
"I will miss his wisdom, sense of humor, and constant optimism. My wife Colleen and I, along with the entire KIPP Team and Family, send our love and condolences to his wife Debbie, their two beautiful children, Ellie and Scott, his brother David, and his loving parents, Barbara and Charles."
Investigators are still trying to determine the official cause of the accident.
Hurwitz is also the president and CEO of a real estate investment company called Maxxam, and was a founder of horse racing in Texas.