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Journalism of Courage
A high-speed boating event in Arizona took a dramatic turn when a speedboat travelling at 200 mph lost control, flew into the air, and flipped before crashing upside down into the water.
The incident occurred on April 26 during the annual Desert Storm Shootout at Lake Havasu, located around 150 miles south of Las Vegas, USA Today reported. Both racers suffered only minor injuries and are reportedly in good health.
A viral video shows the Freedom One Racing boat, a powerful twin-hull Skater model, taking off the surface, twisting mid-air, and somersaulting before slamming down. The chilling moment was captured by the audience. A voice in the video can be heard shouting, “No, no, no! Oh my God. Oh my God,” while others scream in the background as the crash occurs.
Watch here:
The video amassed an array of reactions, with a user commenting, “Speed thrills and in most cases kills, lucky they walked away with minor injuries.” Another user commented, “Notice how the boat hovers temporarily over the water. GTA San Andreas got it right.”
“with that speed falling into the water will feel like concrete,” a third user chimed in.
When the accident occurred, the boat was reportedly attempting to break the lake’s speed record of 206 mph. Although they fell short, hitting 200.1 mph, it was still fast enough to win the competition. According to Speedboat Magazine publisher Ray Lee, the Freedom One boat crossed the finish line despite the crash and was declared the contest winner based on its recorded top speed.
Lee explained that the boat is designed to hydroplane across the water’s surface, but windy conditions and trim adjustments, changes to the boat’s propeller angle, likely caused it to lift off uncontrollably. “It’s an inherently dangerous sport,” Lee said. He added that safety has improved, with modern boats featuring reinforced cockpits and emergency underwater diving gear.
Freedom One Racing later confirmed in a video that the operators exited the boat safely and that the damaged vessel was now back on its trailer. The clip revealed significant damage, including splintered fibreglass from the violent impact, PEOPLE reported.
