Last week’s fatal boat crash was a regular tragedy on Chicago’s waterways, longtime boaters and professional captains say.
“It sucks. It’s terrible. But it’s not that uncommon,” Jeff Rubin told the Sun-Times on Sunday at Monroe Harbor.
He’s a sailing instructor who works at the harbor, not far from where two boats collided just before midnight Thursday, killing 26-year-old Johanna Gregory.
“Every year, there are boats that crash, boats that sink, boats that get messed up, people that get hurt.”
Making things worse, Rubin and other boaters say Illinois has few rules for operating a recreational boat. The state doesn’t require people undergo training to rent or buy recreational boats — both big and small.
Crashes “happen all too often because there’s no such thing as a driver’s license for recreational boating,” Rubin said.
There are still several unknowns about the crash that killed Gregory and critically injured three others. The boats collided more than a mile east of Monroe Harbor. Investigators are determining whether one boat rear-ended the other. The boat with Gregory and the other hospitalized passengers sustained more damage.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Chicago police.
‘Head on a swivel’
The incident is an evergreen reminder for boat captains that recreational boating is serious business, says captain and boat safety expert Brady Ruel.
“Unfortunately, [crashes like that] are par for the course each year,” Ruel said. The number of annual crashes on Lake Michigan hasn’t changed much in the last 26 years, he said.
After 26 summers on Lake Michigan, Ruel says inexperienced and untrained boaters are among the biggest safety risks he sees on the water.
Taking a boating safety class, learning the rules of the water and remembering to check the forecast are all optional steps to take before renting or buying a boat, he said.
“It’s fun, and we want people to have a good time,” Ruel said. “But we want them to stay safe.”
Ruel charters private boat rides on the lake and the Chicago River. He also teaches safety courses for Boat Safe Chicago. With only about four months of good boating weather each year, Chicago’s waterways can get quite packed, Ruel said.
“The operator of the boat needs to be keeping an eye on what’s going at all times with their head on a swivel,” he said. “They have to know if boats are coming in front of you, around you, behind you.”
Boaters unfamiliar with Lake Michigan can unwittingly end up in dangerous conditions, Ruel said.
“It’s a lake but it acts like the ocean,” he said. “There are currents, bigger waves than you’re expecting. Weather can churn up the lake and make it really dangerous really fast.”
Drownings are also common. Two years ago, Ruel saved two of his passengers who were struggling to swim. The man started going under and his friend tried helping be he also started sinking. Ruel — fully clothed with keys in his pocket — jumped in and rescued them both.
“I always ask what everyone’s swimming ability is, not to shame them but to remind them to stay safe and wear a life jacket if they’re not comfortable,” Ruel said. “People underestimate swimming in the lake.”
Don’t drink and boat
Mixing alcohol and driving a boat is also a serious hazard, said Joe Neff, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes District.
With the July 4 holiday weekend ahead, Neff said the Coast Guard is especially concerned with people drinking and boating.
“You’re just putting yourself and others out there in danger,” Neff said.
Boaters also need to be prepared before going out on the water, he said. That means life jackets for everyone on board, emergency flares and a charged phone or radio.
“A lot of boats out there are lacking safety equipment,” Neff said. “I cannot stress enough how important life jackets are. They save lives. It’s just like wearing a seat belt. If something happens, you can’t put it on in that moment so have it on the whole time.”
Sunday afternoon, Manny Limonez was returning with his boat to Monroe Harbor.
“These waters without [alcohol] are dangerous,” said Limonez, who has been boating on Lake Michigan since 2013.
“When I’m behind the wheel, and all of my guests as well, we’re Terminators. We’re looking 360 degrees,” he said.
“When you come out here, you got to be very cognizant of your safety,” he said. “You want to have fun, but you also want to come back.”