Personal Injury Law

Two People Drown in Two Chicago Boating Accidents

In Illinois, two people are dead following two Chicago boating accidents that occurred within one hour of each other on Sunday. A third person was injured.

The first Chicago boating accident occurred on Lake Michigan close to DuSable Harbor when two people fell overboard. According to witnesses, the two people fell off the boat as they tried to get an item that fell into the water. Jennifer Carlson and Dennis O?Leary were able to retrieve one boater. The second boater, however, went under.

The Chicago Fire Department and the US Coast Guard eventually were able to locate 52-year-old Michael Vergauwen. He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The second boating accident took place on the Little Calumet River at 127th and South Michigan. 62-year-old Ronald Johnson died after a boat capsized and he and the other boater were thrown overboard. The Coast Guard said they stopped looking for the second man in the afternoon. Both men weren?t wearing life vests.

Common kinds of boating accidents:
? Boating collisions
? Falls overboard
? Capsized boats
? Boats that are lost at sea
? Fires on boats
? Sunken boats
? Boat explosions

Common causes of boating accidents:
? Inexperienced boat passengers
? Inexperienced boat operators
? Boating under the influence

Drowning injuries continue to be a common kind of boating injury. Even strong swimmers are susceptible to drowning if they are knocked unconscious or end up in rough or perilous waters.

There may be someone that can be held liable for your Chicago boating accident injuries or your loved one?s death.

Boating accidents in Monroe Harbor, Little Calumet River claim 2; 1 missing, Chicago Tribune, June 29, 2009

2 dead in boating accidents, ABC 7 News, June 29, 2009

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).