Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries after a boat explosion on Lake Michigan near Waukegan Harbor Tuesday, officials said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Unit responded to a boat explosion about two miles northeast of Waukegan Harbor around 3 p.m., according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. They found a 25-foot fiberglass hull powerboat in flames.
Before deputies arrived, a good Samaritan brought the two boat passengers to shore — a 46-year-old Washington man and a 55-year-old Franklin Park man. Both were taken to the hospital with serious burns and smoke inhalation symptoms, the release said.
The boat burned for about 90 minutes before sinking, the release said.
Illinois Conservation Police are investigating the cause of the explosion.