Boat Pilot Charged in Lake Accident

After spending over a week at Evanston Hospital, the victim of a July 6 boating collision was released Monday.

Jack Wall of Wilmette was treated at the hospital for severe lacerations received when a cabin cruiser rammed a catamaran which he was sailing off Wilmette beach.

George Peterson, 85, also of Wilmette, who was piloting the 33-foot Chris Craft, which broadsided and split Wall's catamaran in two, was cited for careless operation of a watercraft and for failure to yield the right of way after an investigation by Illinois Department of Conservation Police, according to Capt. Jim Getz.

Peterson is to appear in Cook County Circuit Court on Aug. 23. If found guilty, he could be fined up to $500 fine and could be sentenced up to six months in jail, according to Getz.

On Monday, Wall's attorneys filed a lawsuit against Peterson.

According to Jeffrey Kroll, one of the attorneys representing the Walls, the complaint against Peterson contains five allegations that Peterson failed to look out, failed to properly execute evasive maneuvers to avoid a sailboat, operated a vessel at an excessive rate of speed, failed to follow uniform and statutory rules on right of way for watercrafts and operated his vessel in violation of posted rules of safe rules of watercrafts.

"We question the age and ability of Mr. Peterson commandeering such a power boat," attorney Robert A. Clifford said. "There is also serious question as to the location of the power boat being so close to the sailing beach on a holiday weekend with all the sailboats."

Wall was swept under the power boat after the collision, although a second man on the catamaran, Kendrick Anderson, escaped injury. Benjamin Kraus and Sean Davoren, Wilmette sailing beach workers, were already offshore in a rescue boat and reached Wall very shortly after the collision. They are credited with saving his life.