Holidaymakers in Mykonos got a nasty surprise when the wake of a speeding passenger ferry caused a large wave to wash over the beach they were on, knocking some off their feet.

Two people were reportedly injured when the large wave broke the calm waters and crashed onto the shore, with one woman said to have sustained broken ribs.

A furious beachgoer filmed the moment the boat’s wake reached the beach, with swimmers seen running out of the sea and heard screaming in the dramatic footage.

The water then covers the whole beach, with shocked tourists seen scrambling to pick up their belongings before they are washed away by the powerful swell.

The boat responsible went on to dock at the port of Rafina in mainland Greece, where the captain was arrested, local media reports.

Bathers were seen scrambling to get out of the sea as the wave approached out of nowhere

A wall of water can be seen building, which then crashes down on a woman who is still in the sea

The water crashed onto the beach before covering the sand, knocking some off their feet

Two youngsters are seen rushing to assist a woman who was caught in the freak wave

Beachgoers are seen running to escape the wave while others were caught up in the shocking surge of water

The incident happened at around midday on Saturday on the popular beach of Agios Stefanos next to Tourlos, the new port of Mykonos.

Deckchairs as well as people’s belongings were swept away, while quick-thinking sunbathers are seen jumping up and running to a nearby wall to escape the wave.

Two teenagers and a much younger boy are seen running out of the sea as they watch the wave approach.

Meanwhile a woman who stayed in the ocean can be seen taking the full force of the wave, with it crashing over her head and knocking her to the floor.

The two boys rush back to check on her and try to help her to get up out of the sea.

Takis Papadakos, who filmed the water surge and shared video of the incident on Facebook, said that the woman in the video ‘was hospitalized with two broken ribs.’

He slammed the ferry operator, saying the captain ‘passed as close and as fast as ever’ as they tried to keep to their itinerary.

Shocked tourists were seen scrambling to pick up their belongings before they were washed away

The coast guard said deckchairs and people’s belongings were scattered by the wave

Children and their parents are seen running from the huge wave, while other shocked beachgoers watch on

A huge cruise ship can be seen in the background of the video, but beachgoers blamed a speeding passenger ferry

While a huge cruise ship can be seen in the background of the video, beachgoers and the coast guard blamed a smaller vessel for the chaos, which is out of sight in the footage.

The boat reportedly belonged to Fast Ferries Andros, which transports tourists and locals between the mainland, Mykonos and various other islands.

Authorities arrested the captain for violating regulations related to reckless operation near other boats and causing negligent injury, news site Protothema reports.

The Mykonos Port Authority is reported to have launched an investigation.