The two teenage girls who were killed Tuesday after a jet ski and a boat collided on a lake in unincorporated Antioch have been identified.
According to the Lake County Coroner, the victims were identified as Sarina Vootkur, 16, of Lake Forest, California, and Elle Kim, 13, of Long Grove, Illinois.
Both teens died from blunt force injuries sustained as a result of the crash, the coroner’s office said.
The accident occurred at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, officials said, when the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Unit and Patrol Division responded to a jet ski vs. boat accident on Lake Marie.
According to a press release, Sarina was driving a Yamaha jet ski with Elle in the passenger position. They were heading north near the Grass Lake Canal and Elime Road Peninsula, the release said.
At the same time, a Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser, operated by a 55-year-old man from Antioch, was traveling westbound in the same area, the release said.
Witnesses told authorities the jet ski appeared to be traveling at high speed, directly toward the boat. The man operating the boat was unable to avoid a collision, according to the release, and the jet ski and the boat collided.
The two occupants of the jet ski were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water, according to the release. According to authorities, both jet ski riders were wearing life jackets at the time of the collision.
The four occupants of the boat pulled the teens from the water and called 911, the release said. One of the teenage girls was carried to shore by the driver of the Sea Ray, while the other was carried by the driver of another passing boat.
The teens were taken to a nearby hospital where they were both pronounced dead, authorities said.
No other injuries were reported and an investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Illinois Conservation Police remains ongoing.
According to the Handbook of Illinois Boating Laws and Responsibilities, persons at least 12 years old but younger than 18 years old can operate a jet ski, which is considered a personal watercraft, under the following conditions:
- If they have completed a boating safety course or have a boating safety certificate issued by the Department of Natural Resources
- If they are accompanied and under the direct control of a parent, guardian or a person aged at least 18 years designated by the parent or guardian
Additionally, parents, guardians or designees born on or after January 1, 1998 must hold a valid boating safety certificate to supervise a person aged 10 to 17 operating a motorboat.
The accident follows several drownings and water-related incidents in recent days, including that of a 16-year-old boy who died after falling from a raft into the waters of Lake Michigan in Chicago.
NBC Chicago
