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Woman critical after boat crash near Grand Haven

Posted at 12:19 PM, Jul 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-23 08:02:47-04

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- A woman was critically injured and taken to a Grand Rapids hospital after a boat crash Saturday morning on Lake Michigan.

At 10:37 a.m. Saturday, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, a boat from the U.S. Coast Guard station in Grand Haven and a helicopter from the Coast Guard station in Muskegon responded to a report of a boat crashing with injuries off Brucker Beach on Lake Michigan in Grand Haven Township.

The incident occurred two miles south of Grand Haven and a half mile offshore in Lake Michigan.

Upon arriving at the scene, emergency personnel found a woman with serious injuries after the crash. She was transported by Aeromed helicopter to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids where she was listed in critical condition later Saturday.

The woman's husband suffered minor injuries and two passengers riding in the rear of the boat were not injured.

Their 35-foot Saber Marine powerboat struck a wave while traveling at a high rate of speed. The two were pulled out of the water by the Coast Guard response boat, which transferred them to an Ottawa County marine unit, which transported them ashore to EMS workers.

The woman, Renae Gibson, 45, of Hudsonville, suffered a severe head injury as well as lacerations to her head and face. She was taken to a nearby airport where she was airlifted by Aeromed to Butterworth.

Her husband, William Gibson, 46, of Hudsonville, sustained a broken arm and was transported to North Ottawa Community Hospital.

For an interview and more details, see "FOX 17 News at 10 and 11" tonight.