Police probe ‘aggressive’ jet ski riders
KAYAKERS LEFT SHAKEN AFTER ‘SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS’ BEHAVIOUR
APOLICE investigation has been launched after jet skiers were seen riding ‘aggressively’ towards kayakers and paddleboarders.
North Wales Police officers breathalysed and drug swiped the jet ski users following the incident which happened just off Criccieth beach on August 26.
Shocking footage emerged on social media of the moment three jet skis surrounded John Cowtan and his 16-yearold nephew James as they kayaked in Gwynedd on the Bank Holiday Monday.
The video taken by an onlooker shows that one rider returns time and time again to splash the kayakers, even as they try to move away.
Witnesses also claim they also targeted paddleboarders in the area by repeatedly trying to knock them in to the water.
The pair were left “shaken up” by the incident which Mr Cowtan described at the time as “seriously dangerous”.
A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “We received several calls on the afternoon of Monday 26th August, reporting that jet skis were riding in an aggressive manner in Criccieth harbour, towards paddle boarders and canoeists.
“The Harbourmaster and Coastguard were also contacted, and the local Lifeboat team launched a craft to deal with the situation.
“Subsequently, local officers spoke to those involved on the jet skis when they came ashore at Criccieth and Black Rock Sands.
“All parties were breathalysed and drug swiped, and spoken to about the incident, and our investigations are currently ongoing.”
In Wales the powers of a police constable are driven by section 30 of the Police Act 1996 which gives police jurisdiction
up to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit of the UK.
Calls are now being made to prosecute people who misuse watercraft under this legislation in the same way as people would be prosecuted for dangerous driving.
Scott Beeland, 42, an experienced jet skier who runs the Personal Watercraft (PWC) Gwynedd group aimed at promoting the safe use of watercraft, said: “This now needs to be addressed urgently, because what these individuals did was bad enough but what could have happened is far worse.
“If they’d have got it wrong and hit them the kayakers could have been seriously injured or worse.
“No doubt about it, were in a very dangerous situation.
“None of us in the jet ski community want to see this kind of behaviour on the water.
“It’s a small minority of people who behave like this on jet skis but it causes so much damage to the reputation of others who are sensible on the water. “Jet skiers in general get bad press. “This time it is totally justified, but people need to remember that there are some bad apples in every walk of life and we cannot ban the use of jet skis because of a small minority who misuse them.
“Between the council and the police they need to catch those responsible for the incident in Criccieth and bring significant penalties into action, because otherwise we risk this sort of behaviour being repeated and someone is going to end up seriously hurt.”
Barry Davies, Gwynedd Council’s Maritime and Country Parks Officer, has described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and is urging anyone with further information regarding the matter to contact the Council’s Maritime Unit on 01758 704066. they