A group of fisherman were forced to dive into a freezing cold river to escape being crushed by a motorboat bearing down on their small vessel.

Bryan Maess was fishing with friends near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon when the motorboat crashed straight into the small boat in August last year.

Footage captured on a GoPro mounted inside the fishing boat shows Mr Maess frantically waving at the boat as it approaches to get the driver’s attention.

He repeatedly shouts ‘hey!’ as the vessel gets closer, while another on board is heard saying ‘oh my god’ before the trio dive into the water.

Mr Maess has filed a $372,500 (£270k) lawsuit against the driver of the boat, who told police he could not see the fishing party as the dash of his boat was blocking his view, The Oregonian reports.