Lucky escape for speed boat driver, passenger

A speed boat driver who was injured in a dramatic rollover on Saturday night says his main concern was for his passenger who had won a ride in the competition.

Rod Wood, 50, was racing his boat Paranoid by xXx around West Coast Jet Sprint Park in Baldivis on Saturday night when he lost control causing the boat to roll three times before spinning on its nose and eventually crashing into a safety fence.

In the passenger seat was a man named Steve who had won his seat and had never been in a speed boat before.

“He was very lucky…he had never been in a boat before,” he said.

“I was thankful I was injured not him, because it’s my responsibility, I was driving,” he said.

Mr Wood said despite his injuries he remembered most of the impact of the crash as he travelled about 100km/h along the course.

“We came down the back strait jus a fraction faster than what I was expecting … I was just a little bit too close and clipped a tyre.

“But with these boats if you back off the acceleration you crash anyway, so you have to keep accelerating it to keep steering it so I knew it wasn’t tidy but I kept accelerating to keep trying,” he said.

Mr Wood, who has been racing speed boats for five years, shattered his elbow as well as fractured his shoulder, shin, knee and heel all on his left side in the accident.

Speaking from his bed at Hollywood Hospital the 50-year-old printer said he hoped to return to the water and race again.

He is expected to undergo surgery on his shoulder and knee tomorrow.