Woman dead after 2 boats collide in Lake St. Clair

A night of boating and dinner on the water turned tragic for a Chesterfield Township couple as their speedboat crashed into a cabin cruiser on Lake St. Clair, killing the wife and seriously injuring the husband.

Killed in the two-boat accident was Tamara Urick, 43, of Chesterfield Township, whose body was recovered by a team of divers at 1 a.m. Saturday, five hours after the accident happened.

According to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Urick and her husband were heading back to shore from Anchor Bay after having dinner on their boat when their 30-foot Eliminator crashed into a drifting 27-foot Sea Ray with six people on board. The crash sent four people into the water — the husband and wife from the speedboat, which overturned, and two others from the Sea Ray. It was unknown Saturday afternoon how fast the speedboat was traveling.

None of the boaters on either boat was wearing life jackets, officials said. It is not yet known whether alcohol was a factor. The husband — who has not been identified — told authorities that he had a drink at a restaurant before they headed out on the boat, said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, noting officials are awaiting toxicology results.

Three of the individuals in the water were rescued by nearby boaters. Urick went under and never resurfaced.

Wickersham said this tragedy is another reminder to all boaters about the importance of wearing a life jacket.

“It goes to show you that when you’re out on the water, like Lake St. Clair, bad things can happen in a split second,” Wickersham said. ‘’We were fortunate enough that nobody on the other vessel was injured.”

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call at about 8 p.m. from a caller stating that there were several people in the water and one female boater was unaccounted for. The sheriff’s marine division and dive team, the U.S. Coast Guard and Harrison Township Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.

Urick’s husband was transported to McLaren Hospital and is in serious condition. All others declined medical treatment.

The accident remains under investigation.