Horror as a couple who die weeks after celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary when an out-of-control speedboat shoots out of the water and crashes into a house
- The ship took a violent path toward the Fox River shoreline in McHenry, Illinois
- Julie Mertins was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died in hospital
A married couple, weeks after celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary, was tragically killed when their out-of-control speedboat veered out of the water and crashed into an Illinois home, splitting the vessel in half.
You can see the sun glistening on the surface of the Fox River in McHenry before the boat cuts a violent path toward the shoreline and charges 75 feet onto the grass before slamming into the terrain.
There were harrowing scenes as bystanders rushed to the couple’s aid as they lay pinned under the wreckage.
Julie Mertins, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering blunt force injuries.
Her husband Timothy Mertins, 62, was transported by medical helicopter to a nearby hospital, where he died on the operating table, with his death also attributed to blunt force injuries.
You can see the sun glistening on the surface of the Fox River in McHenry before the speedboat cuts a violent path towards the shoreline and barrels 75 feet onto the grass before slamming into the grounds.
Julie Mertins, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering blunt force injuries. Her husband Timothy Mertins, 62, was transported by medical helicopter to a nearby hospital, where he died on the operating table.
Emergency crews responded to the horror crash on the 600 block of Country Club Drive on Saturday around 5:40 p.m.
The incident separated the boat’s hull into two pieces and also caused minor damage to the house.
Witnesses reported seeing the speedboat traveling up and down the river “very quickly” and said it “swung back and forth across the water” until it hit the shoreline.
One witness claimed the couple appeared to be making a tight circle at high speed when they lost control of the boat.
The ship made a “huge circle back towards the rocks” and banked to the right while still going “very fast,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Lake McHenry Scanner.
The cause of the crash is unknown and the couple’s toxicology reports are pending.
They are remembered as a selfless couple who died doing what they loved.
“They did everything together, from yard work to grocery shopping,” their obituary read.
“When Tim was the captain, Julie was first mate, and they loved getting out on the water every chance they had.
‘On October 20 they would have celebrated 33 years of marriage.’