Olympic rower tells of his fear that he was going to be rammed by motorboat on River Thames
Olympic silver medallist Jack Beaumont has described his fear during a confrontation with a motorboat skipper on the River Thames, saying the man appeared to "lose his mind" and threatened to ram his boat. The incident occurred near Maidenhead Rowing Club and has led to a 67-year-old man being bailed by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of criminal damage, threats to kill, common assault, and endangering others with a watercraft.
Beaumont, who won silver in the men's quadruple sculls at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, said he intervened after seeing the 18ft motorboat heading towards a fellow club member's scull, which was struck during the encounter. The skipper then turned on Beaumont, reversing and driving at him, forcing him to manoeuvre away and sprint to safety; footage obtained by the Daily Mail captured the man shouting abuse. Police have appealed for witnesses and footage, while the 150-year-old rowing club condemned the abuse as "entirely unacceptable" and said it would not tolerate risks to river users.
- Olympic rower Jack Beaumont threatened by motorboat skipper on the Thames
- Skipper, 67, bailed on suspicion of threats to kill and assault
- Police appeal for witnesses; rowing club calls incident unacceptable
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Jack Beaumont is a British rower who won silver for Great Britain in the men's quadruple sculls at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and is a member of Maidenhead Rowing Club, based on the River Thames. Rowers regularly train on this stretch of the river, which they share with other traffic including motorboats, and disputes over space and safety between different river users are not unheard of.
The incident under discussion involved Beaumont and a motorboat skipper, and led to Thames Valley Police bailing a 67-year-old man on suspicion of several offences, including criminal damage, threats to kill, common assault, and endangering others with a watercraft. Maidenhead Rowing Club, which has existed for 150 years, has also spoken out about the encounter.
The story matters because it raises questions about safety and conduct on a busy public waterway, and because it involves a high-profile Olympic athlete describing feeling under threat during what should have been a routine outing on the water.