Two teens killed after jet ski crashes into small boat on Illinois lake

Police say two teenage girls died in Illinois when their WaveRunner collided with a passing boat on a popular lake.

Police told ABC7 the incident involved a 16-year-old from Lake Forest, California, riding a Yamaha WaveRunner with a 13-year-old passenger from Long Grove, Illinois, in the back while the two men were sailing in the waters of Lake Marie.

The teens were heading toward a channel leading to Grass Lake on Tuesday when they collided with a Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser boat operated by a 55-year-old man.

Witnesses described the speed of the WaveRunner directly on the boat.

“There was nothing the operator could do to stop the boat in time around the wave runner as it approached,” Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Chris Covelli said after the incident.

“The Lake County Sheriff’s Office extends its condolences to the girls’ families and others involved in this tragic boating accident,” his office said in a statement.

The girls, who were both wearing life jackets, lost consciousness in the collision and were thrown into the water.

The boaters pulled them out of the water, gave them first aid and called 911.

The teens were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and pronounced dead on arrival. A male patient was transported from the scene to the hospital.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and Illinois Conservation Police are investigating.

Authorities are investigating whether the 16-year-old who drove the WaveRunner had a boating safety certificate.

The local coroner's office will conduct autopsies on the victims' bodies on Thursday, according to the Lake and McHenry County Scanner newspaper.