Daywatch: Second boating accident in the ‘Playpen’ in less than a week

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Good morning, Chicago.

In the second serious boating accident in Lake Michigan’s “Playpen” in less than a week, one person was left in critical condition after falling off a boat and search units were looking for a second person late Wednesday.

A body was pulled from the water near Montrose Harbor early Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the man pulled from the water was the same person who had been missing.

It’s the second time in less than a week that people were badly hurt in the “Playpen,” a party-friendly area north of Navy Pier where boats are often anchored and people swim in the lake. On Saturday evening, two women were severely injured in a boating accident.

Lana Batochir, one of the women, was floating on an inflatable raft, when a 37-foot yacht suddenly reversed, sucking her under. Batochir underwent a double leg amputation after her feet were severed by the boat’s propeller.

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