Greymouth jetboater Kieran Wisdom has gone viral on social media after posting a misadventure in his boat on Facebook.
By 1pm the remarkable video clip had already attracted 464,000 views around the world and the number was rising faster than his speeding boat, at 10,000 views every half hour.
The footage shows him speeding down the Grey River just off Mawhera Quay before veering off towards Cobden - and smashing head-on into a wooden pile in the river.
A family member said the accident happened two weeks ago and friends had said he should post the footage on-line.
A friend was filming him doing manoeuvres in his boat when everything went pear shaped.