On 07/06/13 at approximately 8:49 PM, I, CPO was notified by the Illinois State Police of a single-person, personal watercraft (PWC) accident that occurred on the Illinois River near Stratton Park in Morris, IL.  The report was a white male was transported by ambulance for severe chest pain related to impacting the handlebars.  I made contact with girlfriend.  Operator’s girlfriend stated that she was not with him at the time of accident, but stated he would be able to answer questions after his MRI and X-rays were finished. 

I drove to Morris Hospital and met with Operator.  Operator stated he was heading upriver past Stratton Park on a borrowed PWC traveling at full throttle (speed was approximately 55 MPH). Traveling on another PWC with Operator was the owner of PWC.  Operator stated a yellow catamaran was heading downriver and casting a large wake behind it.  Operator stated he wanted to set himself up to "ramp" the wake.  So he cut the steering column hard to the right and headed towards the south shore of the river.  Operator then corrected hard to the left in an attempted to slice through the catamaran''s wake.  Operator stated when he hit the wake he did not hit the wake head on like he should have.  Operator stated he hit the wake at a diagonal angle which caused his weight to shift hard to the right.  The displacement of weight and the impact of landing caused Operator to be thrown from the PWC and impact the water directly with his chest.

Operator stated he had difficulty catching his breath and Occupant had to recover his PWC and aid him on getting on the PWC.  Operator and Occupant then drove back to their campsite near mile marker 258.  Operator stated it took nearly an hour to get back.  Operator stated when he got back he drank two beers and took two pain relievers.  After an hour, Operator stated the pain was increasing and called an ambulance to pick him up.  Operator stated at the time of the accident he was sober, but was recovering from the night before.  Operator''s BAC at the hospital was 0.15.  Operator suffered a chest contusion and was released from the hospital that night.  

I called Occupant on 07/07/13 at approximately 11:30 AM.  Occupant stated he did not see how the accident happened, but saw Operator hit the water.  Occupant stated the PWC Operator was operating suffered no damage. On 07/09/13, Occupant provided me with photographs of the PWC Operator was riding.  No reportable damage was done to the PWC.
Morris