Fury is boiling over on the Gold Coast after shocking footage showed two teenagers on jet skis deliberately circling and spraying a small boat until it flipped, hurling a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old into the Nerang River. The incident unfolded near Surfers Paradise on October 4, when the jet ski riders, aged 15 and 16, repeatedly buzzed the tinny and blasted it with wake until the smaller vessel rolled and dumped its young occupants into the water. Bystanders rushed in and pulled both boys out unharmed, but the clip, captured by a local witness, has since ricocheted across social media and sparked a swift police investigation. Queensland Police confirmed the two groups had never met, and the jet ski operators now face charges of dangerous operation of a vessel and assault.

Investigators tracked down the teenagers within days, executing search warrants at homes in Broadbeach Waters and Mermaid Waters before seizing both jet skis as evidence. Locals who witnessed the chaos say the riders made no attempt to check on the children after the boat rolled, deepening public anger over what many describe as a pattern of reckless jet ski behavior on the busy waterway. Residents near the Nerang boat ramp claim similar hooning incidents happen almost every weekend, raising fresh calls for stronger policing and tougher penalties on the river. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate called the incident unfathomable, as community pressure builds for authorities to crack down before the next close call turns far more serious.