LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — A high-speed powerboat clocked at a blistering 213 mph crossed the finish line at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout on Saturday, then did something no one on the packed shoreline expected: it launched into the air, flipped, and smashed back into the water. Miraculously, it landed right-side up. And both men inside walked away.
The red-and-white 438 Skater catamaran known as Dirty Duck had just posted the fastest run of the day on the three-quarter-mile course when its bow lifted after the finish. Video captured from spectator boats shows the 40-foot machine going airborne, rotating more than a full turn, and slamming down in a towering spray of water. Crowds lining the Glaize Arm of the lake could be heard shouting as the boat tumbled.
Driver Adam Seraphine suffered a broken leg. Throttleman Rusty Williams emerged largely unhurt. Rescue crews from Dark Side Rescue reached the boat within seconds. One rescuer needed stitches after cutting his own leg during the extraction. Both racers were conscious. Officials said their injuries were not life-threatening.
The run still counted. Dirty Duck was named Top Gun for the day.
Shootout board member Shane Landis said the outcome was no accident. “Safety of our racers, our community, our first responders… everybody’s safety is first and foremost,” he said. Closed-canopy teams had completed underwater escape training just one day earlier. Landis compared the event’s safety culture to NASCAR. “Crashes are not uncommon in races like this,” he added.
The 38th annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is America’s largest unsanctioned powerboat event. Dozens of boats make timed passes down a measured stretch of water while thousands of spectators watch from their own vessels. Last year the event directed $815,000 to 47 local nonprofits. Organizers describe it as “a fundraiser that happens to use fast boats.”
Dirty Duck, owned by local racing figure Slug Hefner, has been a regular at the Shootout for years. Last year the same boat hit 215 mph. This time the team was pushing for even more when the boat unexpectedly took flight.
The cause of the launch was not immediately clear, though experienced observers noted the extreme speeds and the way the hull reacted once it left the water.
Williams was already seeking medical clearance to return for Sunday’s final runs. The event continued after the course was cleared.
The video circulating online shows just how close the incident came to far worse. At more than 200 miles per hour, a powerboat crash can be catastrophic. This time the combination of modern safety equipment, rapid rescue, and a boat that stayed upright after a violent flip kept two men alive. That’s the story racing fans at Lake of the Ozarks will remember: raw speed, a spectacular wreck, and two guys who lived to tell it.
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