Police believe alcohol played a role in Lake County boat crash

Police say they believe alcohol played a part in a boat crash on Lake Michigan near two North Shore towns late Friday, which resulted in serious injuries to a woman.

"We are still investigating, but at this point we do believe alcohol was a contributing factor," said John Tannahill, chief of the Lake County Forest Preserve District's ranger police force.

Officials said the woman remained in a hospital Saturday in serious condition with internal injuries.

Three people were taken to the hospital after the 23-foot pleasure craft smacked into a wall about 10:40 p.m. Friday on Lake Michigan's shoreline at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, which features a beach, bluffs, ravines and rolling terrain. The preserve is near Lake Forest and Highland Park.

Authorities said the boat operator, a 51-year-old man, told officers that he had run over the breakwater by the preserve. The man and his two passengers - two women, ages 50 and 53 - initially were taken to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for treatment of lacerations and internal injuries.

Tannahill said the boat driver and one of the women were treated and released. He said one woman lives in Georgia, while the man and the other woman are from a North Shore city he did not identify.

Police rescued the group after another boater saw the boat in distress and sent up a flare. A ranger on patrol in the Fort Sheridan preserve saw the flare and raced to the beach, where he waded into the lake and towed the boat with all three people on to shore, Tannahill said.

An initial investigation revealed the boat hit a steel break wall near the forest preserve shore, police said. Tannahill said he did not know where the boat trip originated or how long the group was on the water.

Tannahill said Lake County prosecutors will decide whether to file charges in the case after they obtain results of blood-alcohol tests on the boat's driver. The boat remained in possession of forest preserve police for further investigation.

Forest preserve authorities were assisted at the crash scene by a regional dive rescue team, the U.S. Coast Guard and police and fire departments fromake Forest, Highland Park, Highwood and unincorporated Knollwood.