$1million powerboat is wrecked as the show of owner speeds up into a huge wave

The driver was apparently showing off to friends and took the 35ft Donzi powerboat out in rough seas.

As he approached the 20ft high rolling wave he hit the accelerator to try and ramp over it.

Show off: The driver was apparently showing off to friends and took the 35ft Donzi powerboat out in rough seas

The craft began climbing at a 45 degree angle but the power of the roller proved too great and vessel was thrown completely out of the water.

One of the three men on board was thrown high out of his seat as the expensive craft belly-flopped into the sea with such force it split the boat down the middle.

 

The injured driver managed to limp the stricken powerboat back to shore before he and his two passengers were taken to hospital for bruising and broken bones.

High seas: As he approached the 20ft high rolling wave he hit the accelerator to try and ramp over it

Take off: The craft began climbing at a 45 degree angle but the power of the roller proved too great and vessel was thrown completely out of the water

Near death experience: One of the three men on board was thrown high out of his seat as the expensive craft belly-flopped into the sea

Vanished: The boat completely disappears from view as it crashes over the other side of the 20ft wave

Wake up call: Moments later the broken boat can be seen limping back to shore before the injured driver and his two passengers were taken to hospital for bruising and broken bones

The dramatic incident at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, was captured on camera by Pete Koff, 41, who was recording his friend surfing.

He said: 'I saw the powerboat sitting out on the water in the biggest swell of the year.

'The waves were 20ft high and I thought to myself 'that's a really bad place to be sitting',

I have been surfing for 15 years on Ocean Beach and I have never seen anyone there.

'I carried on filming my friend surfing when the boat came by, so I turned my camera onto it for about 30 seconds and just watched it go past.

Crack up: The craft belly-flopped into the sea with such force it split the boat down the middle

Big bill: The owner of the £600,000 speedboat now faces a hefty bill to fix the damage to the hull of his vessel

'The guy driving it must have been trying to show off which was dangerous and he really accelerated and shot up the wave.

'I think he thought it was going to break so he needed to get past it, but as the boat shot up the wave it was thrown around 40ft into the air.

'It almost landed vertically and then went flat, which is quite lucky as they all remained on board. Everyone could have died.

'When it landed, he sat there for a couple of minutes and I know the people on board were injured.

'The boat split right down the middle but the guy managed to get it back to shore.'