Family wonders what went wrong when sailboat capsized in Lake Michigan
CHICAGO (CBS) – The family of the 53-year-old woman who died after a sailboat capsized in Lake Michigan over the weekend was left wondering what went wrong.
Michael Bolan said his daughter, Cristen Bolan, known as Chrissy, created energy everywhere she went and loved the adventure of sailing. She was athletic, an experienced sailor, and a strong swimmer.
"Chrissy must have gotten a mouth full of water that dumped," Michael Bolan said. "The waves got up to four feet out there, as I understand it, so that's enough for trouble."
It was a Father's Day Michael will never forget after his daughter was supposed to be at dinner with the rest of the family on Sunday, but she never showed up and didn't answer her phone.
Her boat launched in Evanston before the 12-foot vessel capsized around dusk near Winnetka. Chrissy and another woman were on the boat.
Michael, a retired judge who once worked as a lifeguard, said the officials said Chrissy's friend was able to swim two miles to the shore in Winnetka, but he is not sure why his daughter was unable to. Both women were wearing life vests, officials said.
"You got two people out there, similarly situated," he said. "The water is the same for both of them. One makes it and one doesn't and they're both physically fit. So what intervened? I don't know."
Michael said if they had a flashing light on the boat, that could have helped both women.
She was one of two people who died after going into the water following a mishap on Lake Michigan over the past few days. On Monday, two teenagers went onto the lake on a kayak, which flipped over. A 16-year-old girl was pulled to the shore by a witness. A 16-year-old boy was also pulled from the water, but was later taken to a hospital where he died.
Then on Monday afternoon, two more people were pulled from the lake after nearly drowning in Montrose Harbor. A woman who was rescued was initially unresponsive but was resuscitated and taken to a hospital.
