An Illinois couple and their two friends made it safely to shore after the 41-foot boat started to take in water at 5:58 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 on Lake Michigan just north of the Wind Point light house.
The Illinois man sent out a distress call over the marine band radio after the boat started taking in water.
Located about four miles from the shore, the boat took in water faster than it could be pumped out and he told members of the Racine County Sheriff’s Water Patrol that he planned to beach the boat. When the water patrol got to the scene, they found the boat beached and the Illinois man launched a dingy from the swim platform.
All four occupants made it to the shore.
The Tow Boat U.S..Kenosha brought the boat back to shore where it was taken out of the water and inspected. They discovered that. a support bracket on the swim platform broke. This made the swim platform lower than the hull, which was why water was coming into the boat.