Seven people escaped serious injury - even death - after a sailboat and barge collided in the Illinois River Monday afternoon.

Local authorities are crediting other boaters with saving the lives of the passengers of the sailboat, which sank after being struck by the barge.

One thing you won't often see in the Illinois River is a barge stopped in the channel.

But that scene was captured by a News 25 camera just after the barge collided with a 32 foot sailboat north of the Murray Baker Bridge.
Brad Boehm was working at Eastport Marina and saw the collision.

"Came down and we saw a sailboat going across here. I heard the barge honking for about thirty seconds solid. The sailboat tipped over right underneath the barge, and about a minute or so later, I saw the mast come up on the side of the barge. The mast is still up on the front of the barge but no sign of the boat, just lots of debris," said Boehm.

But East Peoria Boater Joe Blahnik was even closer to the collision. His powerboat was on the other side of the barge and he and his wife, Debbie, swung into action, pulling six people from the Illinois River.

"God was watching over these people, believe me. That boat completely disappeared under the barge and I didn't think anybody was going to survive that, so...it was a miracle, a miracle they survived," said Blahnik. A reporter asked if he just happened to be there at the right time "We were just passing the barge of the other side and just happened to see it. I guess we were there for a reason. But we got them all out and everybody's safe, so it's a good story."
Blahnik said he didn't think of the people in the boat were wearing life vests.

Another boater rescued a seventh person from the river.
East Peoria Assistant Fire Chief John Knapp said those actions made the difference between an accident and a tragedy.

"Early indications were that these people came off the boat and were actually in the water. And the private citizens the came to the aid of these folks obviously played a huge role in this in the fact that it does take us as firefighters a period of time to get out there. We have to get to the boat, get the boat in the water and go out and rescue these folks. When a bystander can go out and help out – as dangerous as it is – it can be the difference between life and death," said Knapp.

Of the seven people on board the sailboat...five refused treatment.
Two others—a man and a woman—were taken to OSF St. Francis Medical Center.
Their injuries were not believed life–threatening.

The Illinois Department of Conservation is investigating the crash.