At 8:13 a.m. Wednesday, the Carroll County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a boat crash on Lake Freeman near the Sportsman Inn Restaurant in Monticello.
Several agencies responded.
The investigation, conducted by Indiana Conservation Officers, determined that Kathleen Barrett of Monticello was operating a 20-foot runabout-style boat upstream from the U.S. 421 bridge, pulling a tube with three children on it.
Barrett said she was in the process of turning the boat when the sun caused her to misjudge the distance between the docks and the tube, and the turning of the boat caused the momentum of the tube caused it to collide with the dock.
The Monticello Fire Department, Monticello Police Department, and Indiana Conservation Officers provided emergency medical care and removal of the patients from the water.
A juvenile female, age 13, of Crest Hill, Illinois, was on the tube and was injured. She was initially transported to IU White Memorial Hospital, then was flown by Lutheran Air to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
A juvenile female, age 11, also of Crest Hill, also was on the tube and was injured. Her injuries were minor. She was transported to IU White Memorial Hospital.
The juvenile boy on the tube was uninjured. The occupants of the boat were uninjured.
Impairment from drugs or alcohol are not suspected as a factor in this crash. All involved were wearing life jackets.