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Deadly Boat Crash Victim Remembered

The son of a former NFL executive who died Sunday in a boating crash in the waters off Catalina Island dreamed of giving back to his community.

That’s why Michael Harris, 26, decided earlier this year to return to his alma mater – Atherton-based Menlo School – as a counselor, his family said. His father Peter Harris was the president and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers in the early 2000s.

"He could have done anything, you know," his brother David Harris said. "He was tremendously bright and really had his pick of opportunities."

It was a dream job, of sorts, and Michael Harris was very excited about the work he was able to do, according to David Harris.

"I think he understood that his calling was in helping people who he could identify with grow into stronger leaders and stronger people," he said.

Michael Harris was with his girlfriend and three other people when the crash, involving a dinghy and another small boat, was reported just before 1:30 a.m. near Descanso Bay, U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Sondra-Kay Kneen said.

His girlfriend and two others have minor injuries. The fifth person on board is missing and presumed dead.

The family said Harris, who attended Santa Clara University and the University of San Diego, had recently earned a master's degree in psychology and was working on getting a practicing license.

Staff members at Menlo School are having a difficult time with the loss.

"[Michael] was the kind of guy who would come up and give you a hug, shake your hand, always smile at you -- always tell you something positive," the school’s Communications Director Alex Perez said.

Meanwhile, David Harris said that his brother was a role model and, right now, all the family can do is try to cope.

"It’s truly surreal and we are really just trying to wrap our heads around it and can’t," he said.

The Harris family told NBC Bay Area that they won’t be allowed to see Michael for at least a couple weeks while police complete their investigation. So far, Los Angeles county authorities have not indicated whether alcohol played a part in the deadly crash, they said.

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