A sailor has been jailed for deliberately charging a fishing boat at a skiff  containing several people including an eight-year-old child.

Roger Lee Koechling, 75, aimed his 30ft vessel at the skiff from which four  people were fishing on the Eyak River in Anchorage, Alaska.

Beth Ipsen, a spokesman for Alaska State Troopers, told KTUU: "Basically he was accused of harassing people in a  small boat by driving his large boat straight at them at a high rate of speed on  purpose, then turning away at the very last minute. It really, really scared  them.

"Nothing seemed to prompt it; there's no real thing that apparently triggered  this. He was coming within inches of ramming the boat.

"Of interesting note during closing comments, the judge expressly related  that this case was not about sport fishing versus commercial, but that of  community condemnation, deterrence, and this behaviour presented a significant  and exceptional risk to the occupants of the other vessel."

He was charged with 10 offences including four counts of reckless  endangerment, four of disorderly conduct, and two of reckless operation of a  marine vessel.

He was handed a 700-day jail sentence with 649 days  suspended.