U.S. Coast Guard Searches for Witnesses in ‘Playpen' Boating Accident That Injured 2 Women

After two women were seriously injured in a boating accident Saturday in Lake Michigan, the U.S. Coast Guard is asking for the public's help in finding information regarding the collision.

At approximately 5 p.m., the Chicago Fire Department was called to an area known as "the Playpen," north of Navy Pier, about an incident involving a vessel called La Aquavida and a 33-foot vessel stationed in the anchorage area.

Authorities revealed a licensed captain tried to anchor the rental boat he was operating, and the anchor device malfunctioned. The boat started drifting, then as the captain was maneuvering the boat, he ran over a floating raft with two women on it, according to the Illinois Conservation Police.

Two women, 28 and 34 years old, were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and listed in critical condition. One women sustained injuries to her hand, while the other suffered injuries to both feet, the Chicago Police Department's Marine Unit said in a press conference Monday.

The Coast Guard said it's particularly interested in talking with passengers who were aboard the La Aquavida at the time, or anyone who may have videos of the incident.

Witnesses can make an anonymous reports through the Coast Guard Investigative Service Tips website.

The incident remains under investigation.

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