Runaway Boat: Wake Surfers Wipeout, Ship Ghost Rides (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Boats are expensive toys. Hence all the cliched, frequently-used quotes from boat owners and money, like the acronym: “Break Out Another Thousand.”

Two teenage brothers nearly saw those thousands of dollars – from their parents – motor off into the sunset, recently, when a wake surfing wipeout went terribly wrong, and the boat was sent ghost riding unmanned through a Montana lake.

Luckily, they lived (and got the boat back) to tell the tale.

Here’s what went down: brothers Duke and Bo Brimhall, 15 and 21 respectively, were on the water with their parents’ boat. Duke was wake surfing behind the boat, while Bo drove. Bo then went to the back of the boat to toss his brother a soda, but then fell off stern. So, Duke, hanging on by a tow rope as he wake surfed, attempted to pull himself to the boat, and get to the steering wheel. But unfortunately he, too, fell. Pretty comical, to be honest.

Then, the boat was empty; the two boys bobbing in the water, watching it drive away.

“My first thought was, ‘holy cow, that’s crazy,’” Duke said. “I gotta get on the boat and stop it.”

Bo added: “We thought we were dead in the water. If the boat crashes, we’re going to be in big trouble by our parents.”

Luckily, a group of jet skiers were nearby and witnessed the whole thing. They picked up the boys, rushed them over to the boat, and got the vessel back under control.

“We were yelling for help,” Duke said, “and they came on over, and I jumped on.”

They saved the boat. But that mishap struck fear in the boys’ hearts. To their jet ski saviors, Bo added: “Don’t tell my dad, please.”

Close call; also, safe to say dad found out, and had a good laugh.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: