Julie and Timothy Mertins, A married couple died Saturday when their out-of-control Boat veered off an Illinois river and smashed into a house, splitting the boat in half. Heartbreaking security film shows the couple’s motorboat bouncing over a rough wake as it approaches the Fox River beach in McHenry, a city about 60 miles northwest of Chicago.

The boat sailed onto land and continued for 73 feet over the grass before collapsing into a home. “The hull of the ship was separated into two pieces,” according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Passers-by raced to help the couple, who were buried beneath the rubble. Julie Mertins, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering blunt force injuries.

Timothy Mertins, her husband of 62 years, survived the initial collision and was flown to a nearby hospital, where he died on the operating table. According to a coroner’s decision, his death was also caused by blunt force injuries. The couple was about to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary in less than a month.

It is still unknown what caused the Mertins’ fatal accident, and toxicology testing on the Mertins are still pending. According to the IDNR, witnesses saw his motorboat travelling “very fast” up and down the Fox River. The boat was “weaving and cutting back and forth through the water” until it hit the home at great speed, causing minimal damage.

The couple looked to be making a tight round at great speed, according to a witness, when they lost control of the boat. The boat made a “big circle around, back towards the rocks” and turned right while still travelling “very fast,” according to the woman, who wished to remain nameless. The ship did not slow down before plummeting into the air.

The duo was recalled as a selfless and caring couple who died together doing what they loved. “They did everything together, from gardening to grocery shopping,” according to her obituary. “If Tim was the captain, Julie was the first officer, and they both enjoyed getting out on the water whenever possible.” On October 20, they would have been married for 33 years.