A non-profit organization has donated money for a new Lake County Sheriff’s Office patrol boat in honor of a 10-year-old boy who was killed by a DUI boat operator on the Chain O’Lakes.
A ceremony was held Tuesday morning at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit base in Fox Lake.
The sheriff’s office’s newest Chain O’Lakes patrol boat was introduced during the event. It is being dedicated in 10-year-old Tony Borcia’s honor.
The Y-noT Project is a non-profit organization that was created in honor of Borcia with the aim of stopping intoxicated boaters and providing financial assistance to victims of intoxicated boaters and other motorists.
Borcia, a Libertyville resident, was killed on July 28, 2012, while enjoying the day with his family on the Chain O’Lakes.
Borcia and his sister were riding on a tube, which was being pulled by a boat operated by their father, when Borcia fell off of the tube on Petite Lake.
He was wearing a reflective life vest and began waving his arms in the air as his father turned the boat around to pick him up.
A larger boat, operated by David Hatyina, recklessly sped into the area and ran over Borcia, killing him.
The incident was witnessed by the boy’s entire family. Hatyina, who was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said at the ceremony that Borcia, a “fun-loving, carefree boy,” had his life cut short just over 12 years ago.
“This 10-year-old boy had his life tragically cut short because a reckless man under the influence of alcohol and drugs did not see Tony fell off the tube he was riding on,” Idleburg said.
The Borcia family vowed to make recreational waterways safer, which led them to start the Y-noT Project.
“The loss of Tony changed many, many lives. Tony’s loss was not something his family and family friends were going to allow to be in vain,” Idleburg said.
The Y-noT Project has invested over $230,000 to keep Chain O’Lakes and Fox River Waterways users safe.
The organization recently donated $75,000 to the sheriff’s office to fund equipment.
The donation allowed the sheriff’s office to free up funds and help purchase a new Chain O’Lakes patrol boat.
Idleburg said the sheriff’s office was honored to have received the donation, which will be used to find and arrest impaired boaters.
“As Sheriff of Lake County, I am proud to unveil that this boat will honor Tony Borcia and the Y-noT Project. This boat will be used to stop impaired boaters from causing harm on the Chain O’Lakes, it will be there for those who need our emergency assistance, and it will exist in Tony’s name and memory. We thank the Y-noT Project for helping keep our community safe,” the sheriff said.
The new Fluid Watercraft Patrol Boat was dedicated to Borcia during Tuesday morning’s event.
Margaret Borcia, the boy’s mother and the president of the Y-noT Project, attended the ceremony alongside other members of the Y-noT Project.
“The Y-noT Project is very, very proud to be partnering with the Lake County Sheriff in helping to make the Chain O’Lakes a safe and fun environment for everybody,” Margaret said.
“There’s nothing more that Tony loved than being on the lake. Swimming, fishing, tubing, he loved it all. And I want everybody and all their families to be able to enjoy that safely,” she added.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ari Briskman also spoke at the event.
“The incredibly generous donation from the Y-noT Project will help our Marine Unit personnel ensure that no other family experiences the tragedy felt by the Borcia family,” Briskman said.
Briskman said he has known Margaret Borcia and her family for many years.
“I frequently listen to Margaret speak at the DUI Victim Impact panels held at the College of Lake County. No matter how many times I have heard her story, and heard about Tony’s short but meaningful life, I am moved to tears,” he said.
Briskman said one piece of the child’s mother’s story always sticks with him. “Tony’s death, and the reckless and careless decision that caused it, did not only impact his family. It impacted an entire community. From Tony’s friends, his neighbors, and everyone that learned about this terrible event through the media, there was a ripple effect of sorrow, grief, and anger.”
Briskman said momentum was made to pass the Orange Flag Law in Illinois in the wake of his death.
The legislation, signed by then-Governor Pat Quinn in 2014 and going into effect in 2015, requires boaters who are pulling a tuber or skier to display an orange flag at the highest point of the boat when that tuber or skier is in the water. “Undoubtedly, this law has saved lives,” the sergeant said.
“Like the orange flag law, this boat and the increased enforcement will also effect positive change on the Chain of Lakes. While our older boat was often down for maintenance, we are now able to provide more frequent patrols on the Chain of Lakes, which will have the ripple effect of both acting as a deterrent to reckless behavior and a force multiplier when addressing it,” Briskman said.
At the end of the ceremony, Idleburg presented Margaret with a certificate of appreciation.