In a devastating incident, a wildlife documentary producer has recounted the tragic death of a cameraman during a mid-air collision with his colleague, Sacha Dench, known as the “human swan”. The inquiry into the accident, which occurred in September 2021 near Loch Na Gainmhich in Sutherland, Scotland, has revealed the harrowing details.
Dan Burton, a 54-year-old cameraman from Devon, was killed when his paramotor collided with one flown by Ms. Dench, who was attempting a 3,000-mile, round-Britain paramotor challenge to highlight climate change ahead of the COP26 conference. Ms. Dench survived the crash but suffered serious injuries.
Amber Eames, the director and producer of the 2016-17 BBC documentary “Flight of the Swan”, which featured Ms. Dench’s previous expedition, told the inquiry that she had concerns about Mr. Burton’s safety when she saw him using a handheld camera to film a Facebook Live shortly before the fatal accident.
Ms. Eames, who had worked in around 40 countries and organized training courses for crews, said the protocols to divide tasks were “good practice” learned on safety courses and aimed to avoid “task-loading” that could distract pilots or divers. She said the previous documentary had relied on fixed-camera rigs, drones, and additional ground and aerial crews to capture the footage.
However, the inquiry heard that there was no discussion about the risks of pilots filming while in the air during the planning for the round-Britain challenge. Peter Cranswick, a project manager on “Flight of the Swan”, stated that there was no concern raised about pilots filming and that the premise of the expedition was to capture and relay the activities on social media and in a film.
The tragic incident has highlighted the need for robust safety measures and clear communication when undertaking such challenging and potentially hazardous projects. The inquiry into the accident is ongoing, and the findings are eagerly awaited to ensure that lessons are learned to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
