This synopsis depicts the personal injury incident involving Victim that took place on the Kankakee River on 05/29/13 at approximately 18:00 hours. On 05/29/13 at approximately 20:30 hours I was contacted by IDNR District 3 Sergeant notified of the incident that took place previously that same evening near Des Plaines Conservation Area boat ramp.  On 05/30/13 when I came back on shift I went to Wilmington Fire/EMS to get a copy of the report from the EMT''s.  

After receiving the report I attempted to contact the victim (Victim) via telephone.  Initially I received no response and left a voicemail on his answering machine to return my call. I did not receive a call back from Victim so I attempted contact again on 05/31/13 and left a message with Victim''s brother to have him contact me.  Victim''s brother informed me that his mother had given my phone number to Victim to call me but he was still in the hospital at the time.  On 06/05/13 when I returned to work I again called Victim and this time was able to speak with him.  On first making contact with Victim he was resistant in giving me information on exactly what happened and would not give me information about the other occupants on board the boat with him.  

Victim stated that what happened to him was his own fault and he did not want his friends getting into trouble due to his actions.  I informed Victim further questioning would be necessary and I would be contacting him again for more information.  On 06/07/13 I interviewed Victim at his residence and later questioned the boat owner/operator via telephone.  Victim informed me that he jumped from the boat while it was in motion at approximately 25-30 mph and when he went into the water his foot struck an unknown object submerged under the waters surface.  When I asked Victim why he jumped from the moving boat he stated that he did it for no reason.  Victim stated that he was not wearing a PFD when he jumped from the boat but that he was a good swimmer.  

The boat owner/operator said they were traveling in a south east direction when he heard Victim say he was going to jump from the boat.  Operator1 said before he knew it Victim jumped overboard into the water.  After Victim jumped from the boat Operator1 circled around to pick him up and once turned around he saw that Victim was holding his right foot out of the water and he assumed Victim may have broken his foot.  On closer inspection Operator1 said he could see that Victim''s foot was bleeding so his friend jumped into the water to bring Victim back closer to the boat.  Operator1 and another occupant of the boat pulled Victim back into the boat.  Operator1 said he wrapped Victim''s foot in a towel and wrapped a belt around his leg in a tourniquet fashion to slow the bleeding.  Operator1 operated his boat back to Des Plaines Conservation Area boat ramp where they waited for WIlmington Fire/EMS to arrive.  WIlmington Fire/EMS arrived on scene at approximately 19:01 hours to transport Victim to St. Joseph hospital in Joliet, IL.  At the time I was interviewing Victim he was under the care of his mother at their residence awaiting further medical attention and possibly surgery at St. Joseph hospital in Joliet, IL.
Wilmington