Cabin cruiser strikes log, nearly sinks on Illinois River

A 44-foot cabin cruiser was towed to William G. Stratton State Park in Morris after the vessel hit a log on the Illinois River and began sinking shortly before 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 20.

"They were close to going under," said Chief Tracey Steffes of the Morris Fire Protection and Ambulance District.

Morris Fire personnel and two tug boats — one from ADM Grain and one from Material Services Corporation in Morris — responded to mile marker 267 on the river and towed the boat to Stratton Park at mile marker 263.5.

The boat was to be repaired so the couple on board, a husband and wife, could continue their journey to the Michigan side of Lake Michigan.

Steffes said the boat was already about five feet under water when emergency personnel arrived. The tug boats were able to pump water off the boat more quickly than it was coming on, however.

"They were a tremendous help," Steffes said. The boat would have been too big for Morris Fire Department crews to tow on their own.

The couple had just purchased the used boat Sunday, Aug. 19. They were not injured during the incident.