Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
A 67-year-old Arlington Heights man died Saturday after an accidental boat explosion in Wilmette Harbor. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Mitchell Z. Sroka.
The private boat exploded at about 8 a.m. at the Sheridan Shores Yacht Club. A second man, a 74-year-old Arlington Heights resident, was hospitalized with injuries that are not life-threatening. The injured man was standing on the dock when the boat exploded. The body of the man who was killed was recovered by divers. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The boat was tethered to a fueling dock when it exploded but was not being fueled at the time of the fire and the fueling station was not damaged. It is unclear what started the fire. The boat was half-submerged and expected to be removed by a salvage company. Police said the explosion appears to be accidental.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which handles watercraft incidents, is investigating.
