14-05-2025
Outrage as group of ‘tinnie rats' destroy boat on Gold Coast
Boat owners are furious after their sailing boat was sunk by a group of youths on tinnies and jetskis on a popular Queensland waterway.
Noe Chambon and Daniel Cooke purchased a 10m sailboat about five months ago that was stationed on the Coomera River, a popular waterway on the Gold Coast.
However, while Mr Chambon was overseas, a group of youths who refer to themselves as 'tinnie rats' sank their beloved boat.
The tinnie rats frequently drive jetskis and tinnie boats erratically and dangerously, filming themselves in the process and sharing clips online.
Mr Chambon's partner Zali and Mr Cooke discovered a young man sitting on the partially submerged sailboat while filming another on a tinnie. He told the pair the boat was sunk by 'like 15 people' who filmed the entire incident and uploaded it on social media.
'They showed us all the videos of it being towed (and) lots of people standing on it,' Zali told A Current Affair.
The video showed a black and yellow jetski towing the sailboat by its mast, tipping it to the side and dragging it into the water.
According to the owners, the boat's hatch was damaged, and a hose connected to an opening below water level was disconnected.
The owners estimate it would cost them $60,000 to $80,000 to repair the boat.
While the boat has since been recovered, the owners have to return a few times a week to remove the water build-up, which causes it to sink further.
The owners have managed to learn the identities of two people believed to be involved in the incident but have urged for more to be done to stop it from happening in the future.
'If you're going around on your own little boat, stealing and sinking boats, I don't think you should ever have a boat licence again,' Mr Cooke said.
It is not known whether the boat owners will pursue charges.
