A Perth boat charter company has found itself at the centre of a viral online storm after a reckless jetski rider drenched a party of guests, destroying a birthday celebration on the Swan River.
Wall of Water Wipes Out Birthday Feast
Sundowner Boat Charters shared footage to social media on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, showing the moment a jetski created a massive wall of water that crashed over its anchored vessel. The boat was at the popular Rocky Bay swimming spot when the incident occurred.
Owner Mick Lietzow told PerthNow he initially didn't even see the jetski. "All I saw was this wall of water," he said. "I looked up and just saw it coming towards me on the boat — I only saw the jet ski after it had gone past." He added that in his 18 years in the charter industry, he had never experienced anything similar.
Saltwater Soaks Cake and Sparks Outrage
The real victim of the drenching was a birthday celebration underway on board. Guests had brought platters of food and a cake, which was literally washed out by the saltwater deluge.
"They had only just cut the cake. I don't think it's in the video, but one girl was still serving people the cake when the splash happened," Mr Lietzow explained. "They had hardly taken a bite out of it, everything was just full of salt water — that was probably the worst part about it." He suggested the birthday girl at least deserved compensation for her ruined lunch.
The company's social media post, captioned "Way to go idiot, thanks for the deck wash, but you took out a table full of food, including the birthday cake," resonated widely, amassing over 1.6 million views in just three days.
Marine Authorities Investigate Viral Incident
While the area enforces an 8-knot speed limit, WA maritime law is more specific: vessels must travel under 6 knots within 50 metres of people, boats, or structures. No report was filed on the day, but the viral attention prompted Marine Safety WA and the Department of Transport to contact the charter company.
Mr Lietzow believes the jetski rider wasn't acting maliciously but was "showing off" and drastically underestimated the consequences. "I was just left thinking, 'You've overdone it mate'," he said.
The video sparked fierce debate online, with comments ranging from calls to ban jetskis to condemnation of the "moronic" driver. Lietzow, however, doesn't blame the machines, just irresponsible behaviour. "I hope it's a bit of a wake up call that jet ski riders should be a little more responsible," he stated.
The charter owner expressed astonishment at the video's reach, saying he posted it "all in good fun" with no idea it would escalate so dramatically.
