2 seriously injured after boat explodes in Lake Michigan near Waukegan
Lake Michigan boat explosion: Rescuer recounts shocking experience
A woman was out tubing on Lake Michigan Tuesday afternoon when she spotted a 25-foot boat that had caught fire. Tonia Logan acted fast and instructed her passengers to prepare for rescue. When they got near the boat in distress they helped two men who had been badly burned out of the water.
WAUKEGAN, Ill. - Two men are in serious condition after a boat exploded in Lake Michigan near Waukegan on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 3 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit was notified of the explosion and responded to the scene to assist the U.S. Coast Guard and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Deputies from the Sheriff's Marine Unit launched their Lake Michigan Patrol Boat from North Point Marina. During the response, they observed flames tearing through the boat, which was located approximately two miles northeast of Waukegan Harbor.
Before deputies arrived, a good Samaritan who was boating nearby had already jumped into action – rescuing both men on board.
Tonia Logan was heading to shore when she saw the smoke and knew she had to turn around and help. She had a boat full of 13-year-olds, who recorded video and spotted the two men who were blown into the water. The men were found clinging to a part of the boat.
They did not seem to know how it happened, but they said they had just filled the 40-gallon tank with gasoline.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office identified the occupants of the boat as a 46-year-old man from Washington state and a 55-year-old man from Franklin Park, Illinois.
They were transported to a local hospital in serious condition after suffering burn injuries and smoke inhalation.
The unoccupied vessel – a 25-foot fiberglass hull powerboat – continued to burn for about 90 minutes before sinking, according to officials.
An experienced boater who witnessed the ordeal shares what he saw.
"I could see the smoke as soon as I pulled out of the harbor and it was probably a good 2.5 miles, three miles away by the time I got there, and the smoke went for well over an hour. After I left it continued to burn and then finally, when it went down in the water, that was it, it was gone," said Jim Schiffman. "It was a twin engine, looked something like what I would call a Chaparral, Monterey or Sea Ray – it was a dayboat, it wasn’t a captain cruiser, that’s a boat that doesn’t go slow."
The U.S. Coast Guard sent a team to the scene to monitor pollution from the fire.
The cause of the explosion is unknown. The Illinois Conservation Police are investigating.