A high school soccer star and her 13-year-old family friend were killed in a tragic jet ski accident when they crashed into a boat at high speed. Sarina Lee Vootkur, 16, was piloting the Yamaha WaveRunner with 13-year-old Elle Kim as her passenger on Lake Marie close to Antioch, Illinois, on Tuesday.
They were traveling north at high speed near the channel to Grass Lake, just north of the Elime Road Peninsula, when a 21-foot Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser came across their path. Witnesses said the jet ski was heading straight toward the boat at high speed. The boat's driver, a 55-year-old local man, was unable to avoid the collision.
Killed In No Time
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said that the girls succumbed to blunt force injuries sustained when their jet ski collided with the boat around 5:15 p.m. "Both occupants of the jet ski, who were wearing life vests, were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water," she explained.
Banek noted that all four adults on the boat immediately jumped into the water, pulled the girls out, called 911, and frantically tried to save them.
One girl was transported to shore by the Sea Ray, while the other was taken by another passing boat. The jet ski was completely destroyed, according to police.
The girls were rushed to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville but were pronounced dead upon arrival. Police said that the boat had the right of way and its operator had no chance to avoid the crash.
Sarina was a standout player for the Trabuco Hills High School Mustangs in Mission Viejo, California, and had just completed her sophomore year.
"Our hearts are broken... Sarina's legacy will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew her," the team said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Sarina suffered an injury to her right leg and expressed her frustration on TikTok over the longer-than-expected healing process. :These past 3 months have been the hardest months I've ever gone thru. Everyone tells me I'll be stronger after this but all I want is to play soccer," she wrote.
Community Devastated
Sarina's boyfriend, fellow soccer star Jake Cunanan, penned a heart-wrenching tribute, calling it "the hardest thing I've ever had to do." "I'm shaking, and honestly don't know if typing this now is the best time to do it, but I want Sarina's legacy to be known and what an incredible person she was," he wrote.
"This past year, I got to get to know one of the most goofy, loving, and caring people to grace this earth.
"Sarina was the best person and girlfriend imaginable. We have shared so many dates and it has been the best part of my life."
Sarina's final Instagram posts showed her enjoying a picnic with another school friend, Amy, as they created art together. "Forever going to be my #1 picnic buddy, favorite person to scream Olivia Rodrigo with, and my other little sister," she wrote.
"Things will not be the same without you."
Elle was from Long Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and held track records for Mundelein West Oak Middle School.
She was the only child of Marcus and Teresa Kim. As they mourned, their neighbors came together to provide meals and support for the family. "Elle was a friend to many of your sons and daughters," a post on a local Facebook group organizing the effort read.
Autopsies for both girls were conducted on Thursday to confirm the cause of death. The Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and Illinois Conservation Police are investigating the crash.
