A Jet Ski Trip Ended With a 21-Year-Old Being Held Underwater at a Massachusetts Beach

A sunny Wednesday afternoon at a popular Massachusetts lake turned terrifying when a 70-year-old Hopkinton man allegedly held a 21-year-old underwater after a dispute over who had the right to use the beach.

The incident, captured on video, has since gone viral and sparked a heated public debate about property rights, civic enforcement, and just how far someone can go to police a neighborhood amenity.

The confrontation took place at Sandy Beach in Hopkinton, where signs posted around the parking lot clearly state that the boat launch is restricted to town residents only.

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From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, access to Sandy Beach Park requires either a season pass or a daily pass, and only Hopkinton residents are permitted to use it during that period.

According to police, the video shows a verbal exchange between 70-year-old Steven Dana and 21-year-old Matthew Duffy, centered on where Duffy and his group lived. They had been jet skiing.

Dana can be heard on the recording telling Duffy that it was time to go, before walking up and slapping him twice across the face. Moments later, both men ended up in the water, and police say the video shows Dana on top of Duffy, holding him underwater for about 10 seconds.

What made the situation even more alarming was a detail that came out after the arrest. Officers learned that the 21-year-old had been involved in a serious accident a few months earlier that caused severe injuries and that he had been walking on crutches at the time of the confrontation. That detail led to one of the charges Dana now faces.

Dana is charged with attempted murder, strangulation and suffocation, and assault and battery on a disabled person. He pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday.

Dana was held overnight after his arraignment and appeared again in Framingham District Court on Friday for a dangerousness hearing. The judge presiding over the hearing called the video disturbing, but ultimately set bail at $7,500, citing Dana’s lack of a prior criminal record.

As conditions of his release, Dana was ordered to refrain from committing further crimes and to stay away from Sandy Beach and all individuals involved in the encounter. He is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on July 13.

Hopkinton residents near the scene expressed shock at how quickly things escalated. “I didn’t know it was attempted murder. I heard things got pretty rough down here, but that’s pretty crazy,” said Lane Smith of Hopkinton. Smith added that he had previously encountered an older man at the beach who told him where he could and could not fish.

Police were direct in their message to the community following the arrest. Hopkinton Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten said in a statement,

“This is an incident of senseless violence that could have had tragic results, and we treat matters like this with the utmost seriousness.” He also asked that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate bylaw violations rather than taking matters into their own hands.

The case has drawn widespread reaction online, with many questioning whether a beach access rule is worth an attempted murder charge. The investigation remains ongoing.