Lake Marie, IL – Two children were killed in a jet ski crash on Lake Marie on Tuesday evening.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred around 5:15 p.m. near the channel to Grass Lake. A 16-year-old girl from Lake Forest, California, and a 13-year-old girl from Long Grove were riding a Yamaha jet ski when they collided with a Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser operated by a 55-year-old man from Antioch.
Witnesses reported the jet ski was traveling at a high rate of speed. The Sea Ray’s operator could not avoid the collision, resulting in the jet ski occupants being thrown into the water. Both girls, who were wearing life vests, were unconscious when they were pulled from the water by the Sea Ray’s occupants and other nearby boaters.
The girls were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where they were pronounced dead. The Lake County Coroner’s Office has scheduled autopsies for Thursday morning.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Unit and Illinois Conservation Police. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
