Three Dead in Chicago J/35 Accident

Four crew aboard the Chicago-based J/35 Jason were on their way to the boatyard on last Wednesday to haul out for the winter when crewmember 38-year-old Alexander Childers fell overboard. A small craft advisory had been issued just hours before and the seas had built to 10 feet when the accident happened. Owner John Finn, 45, called a Mayday and tried to rescue his crew but the steep seas slammed the boat into a breakwater, destroying it in a matter of minutes. Rescuers were on the scene quickly but were unable to retrieve Childers, Finn, and Adam Kornen, 33, for about 45 minutes. Autopsies will be performed to determine if they died of hypothermia or from injuries from the wreck. The fourth crewmember, Joseph Sunshine, survived and was treated for hypothermia. All four were wearing PFDs.