Deputies from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters and paramedics from the McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2021 to the block of 2400 South Riverview Drive in Holiday Hills to a report of a boat crash.
The sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and paramedics on arrival discovered a motorboat upright with a small fire on land on the east bank of the Fox River. The fire was near the engine of the rear of the boat. The driver of the boat was unresponsive and in apparent traumatic cardiac arrest. Raymond Jezierski, age 58 of Fox River Grove, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to authorities, there was initially no identified cause for the boat leaving the Fox River. Toxicology tests are pending, and the investigation involves the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.
The boat involved in the crash is a 2002 Formula 280 SS. According to topspeed.com, the 280 Bowrider (unknown year) is a 30-foot boat capable of a top speed of 51.7 MPH at 5000 rpm. A bow rider is a recreational motorboat with a pointed bow and a seating area in the front of the helm, designed with priority on performance over capacity for cruising, tubing, water skiing and swimming.
According to a Facebook post by Raymond Jezierski announcing bringing the boat home in late September 2020 following collision repairs, the boat was involved in a crash in August 2019 “almost 13 months to the day” prior to the September 2020 comment, and about 22-23 months prior to the fatal crash on July 28, 2021. Jezierski wrote in late September 2020, “some jerk blinded me at night with his bow spotlight and I drove into a bridge. Fortunately only at no wake speed but significant damage.” The location of the crash was not initially discovered in research of boat crashes in Illinois in August 2019.
Raymond S. Jezierski is survived by his wife Julie of 33 years, brother, William (Karen) Jezierski, and many loving cousins and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, James and Paul; and nephew, Neil.
His obituary listed him as an electrical engineer, and a musician who played guitar, including performances at St. Anne Catholic Church in Barrington where he was a member. Jezierski played 60s, 70s and 80s classic rock and was looking forward to expanding to blues and newer music. He was also looking forward to moving south and getting the boat in ocean, gulf or Caribbean waters.
A funeral mass will be held at a later date at St. Anne Catholic Church in Barrington, please visit the website for updates. Burial will be private at Maryhill Cemetery, Niles.
2000 Formula 280 Bowrider (#2709) at Kelly’s Port at Lake of the Ozarks YouTube Tips ⓘ
See also …
www.formulaboats.com
Get updates from The Cardinal ALL NEWS FEEDS on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts and sub-category posts from The Cardinal — Arlingtoncardinal.com. You can also limit feeds to specific categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor