A man was caught on camera ramming a family's boat and sinking his own in a boat-rage incident in Tairua.
Video / Supplied
An afternoon out on the water has ended in a violent confrontation between a man in an inflatable dinghy and a woman in a larger boat with young children on board.
The incident, which was captured on video, involves swearing, shouting and arguing - and finishes with the inflatable dinghy starting to sink after the enraged man drives into the woman's boat.
Both police and the Harbourmaster are now investigating the boat-rage incident, which happened earlier this week in Tairua in the Coromandel.
The video, which appears to be filmed by someone on the boat, shows the man claiming the people onboard caused $1000 worth of damage to his dinghy after they exceeded the speed limit.
The man attempts to ram the boat at the Tairua wharf.
The man's inflatable boat is damaged during the altercation.
The man and the woman exchange words at the Tairua wharf.
He then drives directly into the back of the boat, causing damage to one side of his inflatable dinghy, which started deflating.
A person holding a wooden oar is then seen in the water hitting at the man several times as he attempts to get away while young children can be heard crying in the background.
While the confrontation continues a couple on the dock can be seen taking the man's jerry can while he attempts to remove the engine from the back of his sinking dinghy.
A police spokesperson told the Herald a report was received on January 23.
"Police received a report early evening on the 23rd January of a dispute and reported assault at the Tairua boat ramp earlier that afternoon."
Maritime NZ spokesman Mark Dittmer told the Herald the harbourmaster was investigating the video.
The man tries to salvage his inflatable boat at the Tairua wharf as the woman looks on
The video has circled on popular social media sites Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok, with thousands viewing the confrontation.
"Wow this video is everywhere, damn good laugh, made my day," one Facebook user wrote.
"Ol aunty Katherine have a win at the waka ama nationals last week," another Facebook user wrote.
"Old mate in the back knicking [sic] the jerry," wrote another.
