Sarina Vootkur,Elle Kim Obituary, – The identities of the two teenage girls involved in a fatal jet ski accident in Antioch have been disclosed on Thursday. As per the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the tragic incident occurred on Lake Marie, claiming the lives of a 16-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl on Tuesday at approximately 5:15 p.m.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office officially identified the victims as 16-year-old Sarina Vootkur from Lake Forest, California, and 13-year-old Elle Kim from Long Grove, Illinois. Initial findings from the sheriff’s office suggest that Sarina was operating the Yamaha jet ski while Elle was a passenger. The pair was heading north near the channel to Grass Lake, just north of the Elime Road Peninsula.
Simultaneously, a 55-year-old man from Antioch was operating a Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser traveling westbound in the same vicinity. Eyewitnesses reported that the jet ski was approaching the boat at a high speed, leading to a collision that was unavoidable for the boat operator. Both watercrafts collided.
Despite wearing life vests, both girls were thrown into the water and rendered unconscious. Fortunately, the four occupants on the boat acted swiftly, pulling the girls out of the water, contacting emergency services, and providing assistance. Following transportation to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, both girls were pronounced dead upon arrival. Autopsy results confirmed that the cause of death for both victims was blunt force injuries sustained during the crash. No additional injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
