Olympic rower Jack Beaumont intervened on the River Thames near Maidenhead after a motorboat driver collided with another rower and threatened athletes.
Police arrested the 67-year-old motorboat captain on suspicion of making threats to kill, assault, and using a watercraft in a manner that endangered an individual or structure. The man remained in custody on Tuesday following the early Sunday morning river rage incident.
Beaumont, 32, said he was frightened the volatile skipper would really ram into him during the confrontation. The athlete won silver in the men's quadruple sculls at the Tokyo Olympics five years ago.
Collision on the Thames
The two-time Olympian was training on the water when he saw the motorboat approaching two oncoming single sculls from Maidenhead Rowing Club. The vessel appeared to be travelling on the wrong side of the river according to navigation rules.
Because rowers travel backwards, the athletes did not expect the motorboat and only noticed at the last second. One rower managed to manoeuvre around the craft, but the second rower hit the boat.
Beaumont told The Times that the captain lost his mind and started shouting at the rowers. He said the man's behaviour was very threatening, adding that he was quite afraid the driver might hurt them.
The River Thames near Maidenhead in Berkshire is a major centre for British rowing, with scullers sharing narrow fairways with motorized craft. River navigation rules require powered vessels to stay to the starboard side of the fairway and exercise caution around unpowered rowing boats.
Verbal Abuse and Ramming Attempt
Concerned for the safety of the rowers, Beaumont told them to write down the name of the vessel, which is understood to be called the Mayfair Lady. The motorboat captain then turned his attention to Beaumont.
Footage obtained by the Daily Mail showed the skipper volleying abuse from his deck at the athlete, calling him a "c***" and telling him to "shut your f***ing mouth."
The captain shouted at Beaumont: "I did nothing wrong. You f***ers think you own the water." He revved his engine and yelled that he would "ram" something down Beaumont's throat before reversing in an apparent bid to ram the athlete's scull.
Eyewitness Describes Danger
A witness rowing a couple of hundred yards away upstream described seeing the speedboat pull out from the riverbank. The witness said the speedboat owner charged over and rammed a rowing boat, nearly knocking the rower into the water, before Beaumont intervened by shouting: "What are you doing?"
The witness said the skipper started effing and blinding at Beaumont and tried to ram him in his boat, warning that the attack could have been life-threatening, if not fatal.
A source added that Beaumont lured the speedboat away from the other rowers, noting that the situation could have been much worse if less experienced scullers had been on the water.
The motorboat owner is understood to live on his craft at times and has previously argued with members of Maidenhead Rowing Club. The club, founded in 1876, forms part of an exclusive neighbourhood dubbed "Hollywood on Thames".
Background of the Olympic Medallist
Beaumont previously raced for Maidenhead Rowing Club and overcame severe physical adversity earlier in his career. In 2015, he broke his back during a Team GB training session in Portugal, suffering a career-threatening injury.
He returned to competition to finish fifth in the quadruple sculls at the 2016 Rio Olympics after being called up to replace Graeme Thomas, who had fallen ill. Five years ago, Beaumont secured his silver medal in Tokyo in the quadruple sculls discipline.
Rowing legacy runs deep in his family. His father, Peter Beaumont, was also an Olympic oarsman who placed fourth in the men's eight event at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
