RedactedNarrative: On Thursday 10/02/14, around dusk, operator locked through the Brandon Rd. Lock and Dam, in his 1987 Silverton Aft Cabin (MC5353NW). OPERATOR then continued downstream on the Des Plaines River at approximately 12-15 mph. Visibility was fair/poor, as it was dark and raining.  Occupant  was helping OPERATOR navigate by spotting buoys with a hand light. Approximately 3/4 mile downstream of Hollywood Casino, near river marker 282.0, in an area of the river that the channel shifts, OPERATOR missed a buoy and navigated outside of the channel. OPERATOR'' vessel struck "an underwater object", or a shallow bar, which brought the vessel to an abrupt stop. OCCUPANT AND OPERATOR were thrown forward at the time of impact and OCCUPANT struck the console of the boat. OPERATOR and OCCUPANT noticed that the vessel began to take on water in the engine compartment. Unable to pump water out of the boat faster than it was coming in, they decided to abandon the vessel. The men called the coast guard, who contacted the Channahon Fire Department. Channahon Fire rescued OPERATOR and OCCUPANT from the boat and brought them to a nearby launch, where a Channahon police officer was waiting. Channahon Police gave the men a ride to a hotel. The boat was left in the river over night. 
  
  The next morning, OPERATOR hired Harborside Marina of Wilmington, IL to recover the boat. The recovered boat arrived at Harborside Marina at 4:28PM and was lifted out of the water shortly thereafter. In speaking with the recovery team, I learned that the propeller shafts were ripped out of the hull. There did not appear to be any hull damage as originally anticipated. The boat took on water from the openings in the hull where the shafts used to be. The cabin of the boat took on water "up to the top of the dining room table". One of the propeller shafts was completely gone, the other was pulled from the hull but was still on the boat. Both rudders were bent and pushed into the hull of the boat. 
  
  At the time of the accident, OCCUPANT refused treatment, but woke up the next morning with a sore back, and was considering going to get checked out.