Lake County coroner reveals identities of slain teens

Anna Roberts, Marisa Rodriguez and Eli Ong

53 mins ago

The above video is from the WGN news report on Wednesday’s accident

ANTIOCH TOWNSHIP, Ill. – The names of the two teenagers who died in a jet ski accident in Antioch were released Thursday.

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, a 16-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl were on the jet ski in Lake Marie and both died in the accident around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.

On Thursday, the girls were identified by the Lake County Coroner as 16-year-old Sarina Vootkur of Lake Forest, California, and 13-year-old Elle Kim of Long Grove, Illinois.

The sheriff’s office reports that a preliminary investigation indicates that 16-year-old Sarina was driving the Yamaha jet ski and 13-year-old Elle was a passenger. The two were traveling north near the channel to Grass Lake, just north of the Elime Road Peninsula.

At the same time, a Sea Ray cabin cruiser, driven by a 55-year-old man from Antioch, was traveling west in the same area.

According to witnesses, the jet ski was racing at high speed directly towards the boat. The driver of the boat was unable to avoid a collision and the two watercraft collided.

The sheriff’s office reports that both teens, who were wearing life jackets, were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water.

According to the sheriff’s office, there were a total of four people on board the boat. They immediately pulled the girls out of the water, called 911 and provided assistance.

The girls were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where both were pronounced dead upon arrival.

Autopsy results released Thursday show that both girls died from blunt force injuries as a result of the accident.

No further injuries were reported.