RACINE COUNTY, Wisc. — Several people were taken to the hospital after a boat crash in Racine Sunday evening.
"I've lived there my whole life and I've never seen something like that before," said Racine native Blythe Haney.
Haney was fishing along the South Point pier with her boyfriend when their scenic view of Lake Michigan turned terrifying.
"Two-speed boats were going the same direction and then all of a sudden the one in the front had turned around and then they were going towards each other," recalled Haney. "And we kinda said to each other, 'Oh, they look like they're going to hit each other but are they actually going to hit each other?'"
Haney told TMJ4 she assumed the boats would pass by each other when she saw them collide head-on.
"Screams had started immediately and that was obviously like the most terrifying part cause we're like watching this and we're like, we can't do anything except call 911."
They were on the phone with emergency crews when people on another boat stopped to help those who flew into the water.
The Racine Sheriff's office says 11 people, including kids, were on the boat that was hit. Several people were taken to the hospital and one child is in critical condition.
"We could barely sleep last night like how did we see that right in front of us," said Haney.
The Sheriff's Office says one boat was speeding when it hit that second boat. That first boat had three people on it, including juveniles. The second boat had 11 people on it, also including juveniles.
In a press release, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this unfortunate incident, and we hope they all have a speedy recovery. I commend the emergency personnel that immediately responded to this critical situation and provided medical care."
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the crash investigation.
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