Behind the Viral Video of a Speedboat Accident in Arizona

Unlike the state of Florida where I spent much of my life, Arizona has a severe lack of boating opportunities. With our state being landlocked, seafarers are forced to head to our many lakes to get their time on the water.

Credit: Canva

One of the most famous is Lake Havasu, located on the western half of the state. The lake was meant to host a massive event recently, but got literally turned upside down.

Shugrue's Shootout

On Saturday, April 26th, dozens of captains gathered at Lake Havasu for the Desert Storm Shugrue's Shootout. This was a competition to see who could gain the most speed while boating on the lake.

Credit: Canva

Boats typically reached speeds of over 200 mph while navigating the closed course of the lake. Many show up just to see how fast they can get, but others are there to break the speed record. One such group of competitors got more than they bargained for.

Get our free mobile app

"We Have Liftoff!"

Two men, who are going by the aliases John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, picked up a 10,000 horsepower speedboat earlier in the week with the sole intent of breaking the 206 mph speed record, and it seemed like they were going to do it.

That is, until the boat gained air, serious air. The speedboat flew several feet into the air, made a complete 360, and plummeted into the icy waters of the lake. Luckily, the two men are alright, thanks to the sturdy build of the boat, but this is an accident the lake won't forget any time soon.

[Desert Storm Performance Boating][FOX News][Accuweather via YouTube]