'Was that a crash test?': Dramatic high-speed front-on boat crash
A New Zealand man has miraculously escaped serious injury in dramatic and unexpected high-speed boat crash.
Footage of the crash has since gone viral after it was shared on social media and has caused a stir online, with commenters debating whether it was done on purpose and expressing surprise at how suddenly the crash occurred.
The video post has had more than 559,000 views and almost 4,000 comments since it was shared on Greymouth jetboater Kieran Wisdom's Facebook on Monday.
The footage starts off calmly enough, with Mr Wisdom speeding along in his boat on the Grey River, located in the northwest of the South Island, before he makes a right turn and the boat starts moving closer to the bank where a friend is filming.
At this stage it appears that he loses control of the small boat, which starts to veer side to side slightly.
Mr Wisdom's panicked expression at this stage, seems to suggest he knows what's coming next, but can't stop it.
It then slams head-on into a thick wooden pole sticking out of the water, resulting in a dramatic smash and extensive damage to the front half of the boat.
Mr Wisdom, or someone watching from the bank, seems to scream out "Oi!" right before impact.
His body appears to be thrown roughly within the boat, but he doesn't seem to hit anything, or be struck by the debris that flies in all directions.
People commenting on the video post expressed surprise at the unexpected and dramatic crash.
"Damn didn't see that coming," Seth Yowell wrote.
"Was this a crash test?" Coty Higgins asked.
Others suggested that alcohol may have played a part in the incident, but there is no evidence of that.
Some also asked whether the crash was done on purpose, as Mr Wisdom did not seem to try to steer away from the pole.
A family member said the accident happened two weeks ago and friends had said Mr Wisdom should post the footage online, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
The newspapers reported that a friend had been filming the jetboater when everything went wrong.
Since it was posted the video received more than 10,000 views an hour, the newspaper said.
Mr Wisdom, whose Facebook page shows that he is interested in motor sports and avid motorbike rider, was reportedly not injured in the mishap.
Newsbreak – February 28
