Chicago Mom Loses Both Of Her Legs After Boating Accident At Lake Michigan ‘Playpen,’ Raises Safety Concern

Chicago Mom Loses Both Of Her Legs After Boating Accident At Lake Michigan ‘Playpen,’ Raises Safety Concern

Updated on August 18, 2022 18:42 PM by Anna P

Chicago Boating Accident, Woman Lost Her Both Feet

A Chicago woman lost both feet and will have part of her legs amputated after a boating accident earlier this month.Police were first alerted to an emergency that two boats collided with people trapped underneath, Officer Ark Pachnik of the Chicago Police Department's Marine Unit said in a press conference on Monday.

After first responders arrived, they saw one victim hanging halfway into the boat. She needed medical help, so they took her to paramedics, who were waiting nearby.

Officers Confirm The First Victim’s Injuries

Officers also saw a second victim on the stern of a boat. After putting that individual on their shoulders, police also took them to the paramedics. Pachnik said both feet were severed as he confirmed the first victim's injuries.

Officer Raul Echevarria responded to the scene and added that there was ‘excessive bleeding’ on the boat and that the second victim's hand was ‘severely severed.’ He said his priority was to minimize the bleeding as much as possible.

Sharing what witnesses said happened, Pachnik explained that six to eight people were on a raft when a second boat reversed into them, sucking them right underneath their boat. Pachnik said police have determined it was an accident, pending an investigation.

The Chicago Police Department tells the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard are continuing the investigation.

The first victim has since been identified as Lana Batochir, 34, based on a GoFundMe she started to raise money for her medical costs. It has raised more than $106,000 of her $250,000 goal on Wednesday evening.

She never imagined she would be here, laying in a hospital bed and typing this message she wrote before recounting her experience.

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Lana Panic With Unimaginable Pain

A Reckless boat driver back into our inflatable raft at full throttle, destroying everything in its way, the mother of two said. We were all under his boat within seconds. Everything happened so fast. The boat propeller struck me, leaving me with unimaginable pain. She thought she was dying.

At a distance, she saw my husband's eyes searching for me in a panic. She would never forget his face of pain. We connected eyes, but she couldn't stay up; she began to drown. She wrote that she felt myself drifting down like an object, and I knew I would die.

She credits her husband for saving her life, stating that he pulled her out of the water. That's when she realized her feet were gone. Once at the hospital, she was told both of her legs would have to be amputated below the knee.

Even though it feels like a bad thing that happened to me, she still feels very lucky to be alive. She thought I would die. I’m grateful she will be able to hug and kiss my kids, husband, family, and friends, she said. She will get through this and come out stronger with my latest lifestyle.

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