Windsor man arrested after boat rams rower on River Thames near Maidenhead

A 67-year-old man from Windsor has been arrested after a boat collision and alleged verbal abuse targeting rowers near Maidenhead Rowing Club on Sunday morning.

Man arrested after boat strikes rower near Maidenhead Rowing Club

A 67-year-old man from Windsor has been arrested following a boat collision and alleged verbal assault on the River Thames, The Independent reports.

Thames Valley Police said the suspect was operating a white and blue boat dangerously near Maidenhead Rowing Club at around 7.15am on Sunday when his vessel struck a rowing boat and its occupant.

The man allegedly verbally abused a second rower who repeatedly attempted to move away from the approaching boat.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, threats to kill, a Public Order Act offence, common assault, and using a watercraft in a manner that endangered a structure or individual.

Detective Inspector Laura Al-Owaied said the force was treating the matter as a priority and that a heightened police presence would be maintained in the area. "We are carrying out a thorough investigation into this incident, which understandably caused concern within the local community," she said.

Al-Owaied appealed for witnesses who were near the club between 7am and 7.30am on Sunday to come forward, adding that officers were particularly keen to obtain CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage recorded in the area at the time. "Any information could assist our investigation," she said.

Source: The Independent