Boat explodes, two rescued on Lake Michigan near Waukegan

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two people were rescued after an apparent boat explosion Tuesday afternoon on Lake Michigan near Waukegan.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that around 2:45 p.m., they received a report of a "personal watercraft explosion" about two miles northeast of the Waukegan Harbor. The Waukegan Fire Department said it learned that a boat was on fire near the power plant at the end of Greenwood Avenue.

A Good Samaritan rescued two people on the boat, a 46-year-old man and 55-year-old man, and brought them to shore. They were later taken in serious condition to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan with burns and smoke inhalation symptoms.

Heavy flames and a large plume of smoke could be seen coming from a boat, a 25-foot fiberglass hull powerboat, on the water around 3:20 p.m. The Lake County Sheriff's Office said the vessel burned for about 90 minutes before sinking.

The boat was destroyed by the fire and was a total loss, the fire department said.

The Coast Guard said there was no evidence of any pollution from the burning boat, but that salvage crews and pollution responders were monitoring the situation.

The cause of the explosion remained unknown late Tuesday.