On Aug. 29, a local news source reported that The Chicago Police Marine Unit located the 33-foot motorboat that sank in Lake Michigan on May 31. Three of the four people on board were killed in the incident. The discovery was made on July 31 when police divers saw a sonar image of something abnormal on the floor of the lake and located the boat 20 yards below the water’s surface. The divers’ initial inspection did not provide police with any clues about what may have caused the boat to sink, and the investigation was turned over to the Illinois Conservation Police.
The only survivor of the incident, a 29-year-old male, told authorities that all four people on board attempted to bail out the boat before it was completely submerged. He also said they were too far from shore to have had cellphone service and that the ship-to-shore radio was not functioning. Although flares were fired into the air, they did not draw anyone’s attention.
Police reported that the engine caught fire and that the bilge pump malfunctioned. A spokesman for the Coast Guard said an alarm panel sounded before the engine shut down. The victims, two female and one male, ranged in age from 26 to 30.
When incidents of this type lead to the loss of a loved one, it can be very difficult for family members. There are sometimes questions about other parties’ negligence after fatal accidents, and surviving family members may wish to speak with personal injury lawyers who are familiar with wrongful death lawsuits.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Police Find Sunken Motorboat At Center Of Fatal Excursion“, September 29, 2014