On 03/30/13, I was notified by Illinois State Police District 5 that a single vessel boat accident occurred at the north end of Braidwood Lake at 4:16 pm.  I arrived on scene at approximately 4:30 pm at the north boat launch location to investigate and determined this was a single vessel boat accident involving two persons and boat(IL6907RB-clear LEADS).  Both subjects were transported by EMS to Riverside Hospital in Kankakee, IL. for injuries sustained from this accident.  

I spoke with witness/rescuer and he advised an unknown male fisherman and himself heard cries for help coming approximately 150 yards southwest of the boat launch.  Good sam advised he and the unknown male fisherman proceeded to the accident scene and rescued Injured victim (who was wearing a PFD) and Deceased victim (who was not wearing a PFD positioned face down in the water).  Good sam advised Deceased victim was not breathing when they pulled him into their boat so they initiated CPR and dialed 911.  Good sam transported both Deceased victim and Injured victim to the north boat launch awaiting EMS arrival.   Myself and other CPO''s quickly launched our boat and located the Starcraft boat(IL6907RB) approximately 150 yards southwest of the boat launch resting upright on the lake bottom in six feet of water.  I hooked the front of the boat with a gaff and elevated it noticing a blue nylon line.  I secured the blue nylon line with my hands and pulled hoping to elevate the boat more and the line freed itself from the boat.  I pulled the line completely in and confirmed this was the anchor.   We marked it with a buoy so we could perform extraction of the boat on 03/31/13.  O''Hare Towing Services removed the boat from the bottom of Braidwood Lake on 03/31/13 and is in their storage eligible for release.  CAD# for the tow is 2322.  Tow # is 628.  CPOT and I went to Riverside Hospital in the late evening of 03/30/13 to check the victims medical status.  Deceased victim was being treated as a drowning victim.  He was unconscious and on life support to aid his breathing.  

According to his wife, Deceased victim was taken off life support on 04/01/13 because of severe brain damage due to lack of oxygen and died at 9:45 pm.  Deceased victim''s cause of death was Anoxic Encephalopathy.  Injured victim was treated for hypothermia/exposure and was released on 03/30/13.  CPOT and I interviewed Injured victim before her release.

During our interview with Injured victim on 03/30/13, I asked her to explain what happened.  Injured victim advised Deceased victim and her had just quit fishing and were leaving Braidwood Lake.  Injured victim advised she was sitting in the middle of the boat facing Deceased victim who was in the rear next to the motor driving the boat.  Injured victim stated that Deceased victim was driving the boat towards the north boat launch at speeds less than ten miles per hour when they both noticed the anchor was still out and fastened to the rear of the boat.  Injured victim advised Deceased victim leaned to the far rear right side of the boat(Port side) and attempted to pull the anchor into the boat while still underway.  Injured victim advised that is when water immediately entered the boat from the right rear(Port side) causing the boat to sink within a matter of seconds.  Injured victim advised she believed there was too much weight in the back of the boat due to the outboard motor, electric trolling motor, battery, fuel tank and Deceased victim positioned there.  I asked Injured victim if she or Deceased victim had consumed any alcohol prior to the accident.  Injured victim advised Deceased victim consumed one or two Four Lokkos throughout the day and she consumed none.  Injured victim advised she was wearing a life jacket(PFD) and was in a state of panic when she entered the water.  She advised all she could remember from that point was that she kept yelling for help until she was rescued by Good sam.  Injured victim advised Deceased v
Braidwood