Arlington Heights Man Dies In Wilmette Harbor Boat Explosion

WILMETTE, IL — An Arlington Heights man was killed in a boat explosion in Wilmette harbor Saturday, according to fire officials. A 60-year-old man was killed in the explosion and another man was injured after a strong explosion and a resulting fire shortly after 8 a.m. at the Sheridan Shores Yacht Club, according to Wilmette Fire Chief Ben Wozney.

Mitchell Z. Sroka, 67, of the 700 block of South Arlington Heights Road, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Fire officials said the boat was not being fueled at the time of the fire and it was not immediately clear what started the fire. Wozney said the pumping station was intact, so it appeared the fire began on the boat.

"We've had fires in the harbor in the past," Wozney told reporters at the scene. "No explosions of this magnitude."

The harbor was closed for the rest of the day due to the explosion.

"Due to an accident this morning, the harbor will be closed today," the Wilmette Harbor Club said in a message posted to its website. "The harbor will hopefully reopen Sunday morning, but the fuel dock will be closed all weekend, and until further notice. We will announce the harbor re-opening in a future email."

The injured man was standing on the dock at the time of the explosion, according to WLS-TV. He was identified as a 74-year-old resident of Arlington Heights.

Images from the scene showed a partially submerged boat, and Wozney said salvage and insurance companies would be called to remove it.

A man who identified himself as a friend of the boat's owner told the Chicago Tribune that Sroka was friendly and an avid salmon fisherman on his two-engine boat, which was named Scorpion.

@WBBMNewsradio Wilmette Harbor pic.twitter.com/k3M7mTrUou
— Robert Dunne (@Academy911) August 11, 2018

Developing: according to #Wilmette Fire Chief, the boat was in the fueling dock at the time of the explosion but the pump and gas tank were not being used. A 60 y/o is dead and another was transported to a hospital. #wilmetteHarbor @nbcchicago @TelemundoCHI pic.twitter.com/FIOhcbZ6eP
— Jorge DeSantiago (@Jorge_Telemundo) August 11, 2018

By FEROZE DHANOA | Patch National Staff

Photo by Adam Levinson | used with permission