When we think of boat rental we think of tranquil waters and boaters sharing a drink with loved ones, a rental experience that is synonymous with piece and quiet. However, for one group of renters in Maryland this was not the case, seeing a brawl break out on the waters. Allegedly starting after one passengers threw a beer at another the incident was filmed by a witness on the Choptank River on Saturday, who later uploaded the fight to Facebook. Proving to be both shocking and comical the video quickly went viral.
Substantial damage
Causing a whopping £3,000 worth of damage the fight between the two individuals was a scene that caused others to stop and stare. While a great bit of exposure for the rental firm CBS Baltimore the event was no doubt disheartening for the firm, having to go to great lengths to get the boat back to its original condition.
Reporting to have been paid the £3,000 Maryland Natural Resources Police had to get involved, with spokesman Candy Thompson speaking to everyone aboard the boat.
The man they are most focused on was the 21-year-old from Crownsville, seeing him facing a charge of negligent boating.
‘This fight on the Choptank Saturday could have had deadly consequences,’ the police department’s Twitter account posted on Monday. ‘Charges pending.’
Daryl Newhouse witnessed the fight from the safety boat for the Cambridge Yacht Club Annual Fun Regatta.
‘We tried getting their attention, directing them away from the sailboats and signalling to cut their speed but all six deliberately ignored us and stared straight ahead despite our waving right next to them,’ Newhouse told CBS Baltimore.
‘Then they went through the finish line where our committee boat and mark were set up.’
She added: ‘I used to be a lifeguard at that age so I wanted to stay close enough to help if one went overboard.’
Posted on Facebook
Newhouse added on Facebook: ‘So I was riding on the Cambridge Fun Regatta safety boat when we tried to hail a boat that was getting dangerously close to our sailboat racers and was interfering with the course.
‘They ignored our hailing and we started to follow them because they were operating so unsafely and appeared very drunk.
‘Madness ensued and of course no DNR or Coast Guards were anywhere in the area. I seriously worried one of them was going overboard.’
Let us know what you think, is the man’s punishment too harsh or should boat rental companies factor such incidents into their pricelists? Leave your comments and opinions below.
