Man seriously injured after WaveRunner, boat crash on Petite Lake: sheriff's office

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A man is seriously injured after a WaveRunner and a boat collided on a north suburban lake on Saturday afternoon, sheriff's police said.

The crash happened at about 3:10 p.m. on Petite Lake, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff's office said a 53-year-old man was driving a Hurricane Deck Boat southbound out of the Long Channel, entering Petite Lake. At the same time, another man, also 53 years old, was driving a Yamaha WaveRunner westbound across the lake.

The Yamaha's driver struck the front of the deck boat, and he was thrown into the water, the sheriff's office said. The man, who was wearing a lifejacket, was unconscious in the water before a Good Samaritan came to his rescue.

On August 19, 2023, at approximately 3:10 p.m. Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit Deputies responded to Petite Lake for a boat crash with injuries.

The Yamaha's driver was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious injuries. The sheriff's office said it appeared that he had been drinking, which seemed to play a role in the crash.

No one else was injured. The Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit is investigating and criminal charges are possible.