Jet skis ignore pleas from swimmers to slow down and stop ‘showing off’ in shallows at Rye
Jet ski hoons have been filmed coming dangerously close to swimmers at Rye, speeding and doing doughnuts to impress their mates.
South East
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Jet ski hoons have narrowly avoided hitting early morning swimmers on the Mornington Peninsula, ignoring pleas to stop speeding and doing doughnuts in the shallows of a family beach.
The three male riders continued to “show off” for mates on Rye beach, forcing at least one woman from the water about 7,45am on Friday.
“If they had hit anyone they would have killed them,” she said.
The woman, who asked not be named, said the riders had “no idea” she was in the water and even after she stood up and waved to get their attention the men failed to slow down.
She said the men’s illegal behaviour was “shocking”.
“They just didn’t care. They had no awareness of what was around them and ignored repeated requests to stop.”
She said other beachgoers also yelled at the men to move away from the shallows.
“I don’t hate jet skis. I respect that they just want to enjoy themselves and they have as much right to the Bay as everyone else does,” she said.
“But they need to respect the rules and be aware of other people in the water.”
Rye local Josie Jones was also on the beach and saw the incident.
She visits the beach every day to pick up rubbish and said she’d never seen such a shocking disregard for safety by jet ski riders.
“I didn’t realise at first that someone was swimming at the time … and then they stood up,” she said.
“I was genuinely worried for their safety.”
The incident has been reported to police who are already targeting jet ski speeding this summer.
A ‘Cool your jets’ operation is being run by Safe Transport Victoria, Victoria Police, and Parks Victoria.
Compliance officers are on the water over the summer ensuring jet ski riders don’t break the rules.
A five knot speed limit applies for watercraft close to the shoreline.
For the Mornington Peninsula’s southern beaches jet skis must slow to five knots within 500m of the shore.
At other Victorian beaches the speed limit applies within 200m.
Jet skis showing a visible wake within 500m from shore are usually speeding.
There were 44 speeding fines given to jet ski riders in 2023.
