ANTIOCH, Ill. (WLS) -- The Lake County Sheriff's Office has identified two teenage girls who were killed in a boat and WaveRunner crash on Tuesday.
The Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit and Patrol Division responded to the incident at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Lake Marie, part of the Chain O'Lakes.
According to investigators, a 16-year-old girl from Lake Forest, California, was operating a Yamaha WaveRunner.
Elle Kim, 13, from Long Grove, Illinois, and Sarina Vootkur, 16, from Lake Forest, California, were passengers on the WaveRunner and were killed in the crash.
The sheriff's office reported that Vootkur was driving the WaveRunner near the channel to Grass Lake when a boat, piloted by a 55-year-old man from Antioch, approached the area.
Witnesses informed the police that the WaveRunner was traveling at a high speed directly towards the boat, leading to a collision.
Both girls were wearing life vests but were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water due to the impact, the sheriff's office said.
The boat's occupants immediately rescued the girls from the water, provided aid, and called 911.
The medical examiner determined that both girls died from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash.
Elle Kim and Sarina Vootkur were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where they were later pronounced dead.
It remains unclear if Vootkur had her boating safety certificate, which is mandatory in Illinois for individuals born after June 1998. This certification requires an eight-hour course approved by the Department of Natural Resources.
Investigators indicated there was no evidence of impairment by either the boat or WaveRunner operator. No additional injuries were reported from the crash.
The incident is still under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and the Illinois Conservation Police.
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