Four people in their 20s were injured after two personal watercrafts crashed into each other on Gages Lake outside of Grayslake while they were visiting a friend on Labor Day.
The Lake County Sheriff‘s Office and Grayslake Fire Protection District responded around 12 p.m. Monday to Gages Lake for a report of a water rescue.
Lake County Sheriff‘s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said it was reported that two personal watercrafts (PWCs) had crashed, resulting in injuries.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and spoke to the occupants of both PWCs.
A preliminary investigation shows a 21-year-old Indiana man was operating a PWC and a 22-year-old Indiana man was operating a separate PWC.
The two were riding side-by-side each other when the 21-year-old pulled in front of the 22-year-old, Covelli said.
The “no-wake-mode” was activated on the 21-year-old’s PWC, causing the watercraft to rapidly slow.
Covelli said the 22-year-old operator was not able to slow or move and he struck the back of the 21-year-old’s PWC.
The 21-year-old and his passenger, a 22-year-old Indiana woman, were injured.
They were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The 22-year-old operator and his passenger, a 21-year-old Indiana woman, suffered minor injuries but did not request to be transported to the hospital, Covelli said.
A good Samaritan on a different boat transported both men to shore.
The two women used one of the personal watercrafts to get back to shore.
Covell said all four people involved were visiting a friend who has a lake house on Gages Lake.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police responded and are conducting a further investigation.