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07/09/2006: ""
Filming slightly risky stunts underwater has been a profession of mine and other friends.
We were (in 1975) part of the film crew when Jaws author Peter Benchley was dangerously close to two large sharks chewing on a stingray bait. (I was out of the water changing film when he slipped to within a meter of the flashing teeth).
The chief cameraman filmed this incident much to the awe of three Australian divers hovering mid-water ten meters above.
Benchley could have become an accident victim just as Steve Irwin was this week. Peter Benchley was a raw novice diver so close to becoming a shark victim himself.
Imagine the headlines, Jaws author shark attack.
It was so close to becoming fact – but fortunately for all concerned didn’t happen.
By the time I returned underwater from changing film aboard the chartered boat, the main danger had passed.
I noted Peter Benchley’s face mask was now so badly fogged he would not have seen much at all.
Probably didn’t fully realize the degree of danger he had just been in.
So I showed Benchley how to clear his fogged mask underwater by allowing a cupful of water in, washing the inside and then blowing air through his nose to expel the water.
He followed and was most grateful. On the bow of the charter boat that night, he thanked me again as we talked about his marketing of Jaws the book into Jaws the movie.
If for example, I were filming someone as they approached a large sleeping ray, would I or could I warn them not to swim above it? You'd try to do something positive if time permitted.
Things happen fast, communications are different underwater and possibly I would assume they would know better and not get too dangerously close anyway.
Steve may have studied and viewed footage of more tame stingrays elsewhere and assumed all were going to be the same?
(One of the many reasons why marine parks authority dislikes any uncontrolled feeding of marine creatures anywhere).
Feeding changes the natural disposition, and in places like Batt Reef where wild rays are very prevalent, a hazard is created when some may wrongly assume rays to be the same everywhere.
Steve Irwin was not such a great expert underwater. He was a good performer with land animals but not a man with any incredible underwater experience.
It takes many years of experience to have a broad safety view.
That’s obvious as a real marine expert would not position themselves above a stingray in such shallow conditions. A big ray and just 1.5 meters of depth. No way! But Steve was action man and that changes everything, but he was out of his depth in very shallow water.
From a technical and news camera view, filming Australia’s most famous animal wrangler being fatally injured, is both tragic and a video-journalist milestone at the same time.
Nothing like this has happened before. There have been injuries filmed, but never the highest profile celebrity of an era fatally injured underwater in front of the camera.
Many divers would like to view the footage of this accident – footage “that will never see the light of day” according to Steve’s manager. Why?
Surely any gruesome moments can be made blurred – we all can be spared those.
It’s the wider details of this incident that would instruct many how to be more professional and cautious if underwater and near these large rays.
Stingrays are suddenly the new curio that will see more of them approached with camera's than ever before. The window of opportunity for similar accidents has been opened.
We therefore need to view footage of what happened, even if only in an animation form at least.
This might help and protect others underwater in future as a warning how to behave near big rays.
