Award-Winning Undersea Film-Maker Mike deGruy Dies in Helicopter Crash
- Posted on February 5, 2012 at 4:03pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(AP) Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said Sunday.
Police said an Australian helicopter pilot and his American passenger died at the scene Saturday when they crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles (156 kilometers) north of Sydney. Police did not immediately release the victims’ identities.
National Geographic and director James Cameron confirmed the victims’ identities in a joint statement that said “the deep-sea community lost two of its finest” with the deaths of the two underwater documentary specialists.
David Bennett, president of Australia’s South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the pair had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.
DeGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, California, had won multiple Emmy and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, awards for cinematography.
Wight, 52, of Melbourne, was the writer-producer of the 3D movie “Sanctum,” which took in $100 million and was Australian cinema’s biggest box office hit of 2010.
The joint statement said deGruy spent 30 years producing and directing documentary films about the ocean. An accomplished diver and submarine pilot who spent many hours filming deep beneath the sea, he was the director of undersea photography for Cameron’s “Last Mysteries of the Titanic,” the statement said.
“Mike and Andrew were like family to me,” Cameron said. “They were my deep-sea brothers and both were true explorers who did extraordinary things and went places no human being has been.”
Mike deGruy’s TED speech April 2010:
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TSUNAMI-22
Posted on February 6, 2012 at 1:48pmBarring any evidence made public so far, it sounds like these victims may have been bitten by the height-velocity monster. Hopefully more details will surface.
Unfortunate.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on February 6, 2012 at 8:30amWhen I read stories of good men who love the world and it’s treasures have passed on, I always think how much they will love the next portion of our lives, I love the little phrase from the bible “worlds without end”, plus they get to meet the “Master” builders of those world’s. Condolences to their families, they will miss these fine men.
Report Post »Doin it for da Chilren
Posted on February 6, 2012 at 9:45amSounds like they found some ancient alien undersea civilization and “went places no human being has been”. Hmmmm you shut your mouth when your talking bout aliens!
Report Post »Workforit
Posted on February 6, 2012 at 3:56amIt always is tough surviving loss…
But when a true adventurer, a mans man passes… The loss is that much greater.
They were a rare breed. Their brand of courage and fortitude are so desperately needed in today’s world.
May they rest in peace.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on February 5, 2012 at 10:35pmGod rest their souls and RIP. As a scuba diver I can appreciate how difficult filming underwater can become as you have to produce your own lighting. You also don’t see the colors until light hits the undersea world.
My condolences to friends and family.
Report Post »TGFgruntme3
Posted on February 5, 2012 at 9:17pmI first met Mike in the summer of 1969. My amateuer film group was editing our first epic. My cousin Stephen Barber was in SEWANEE MILITARY ACADEMY with Mike when they came to Abilene, Texas for a visit.
Mike sat-in as we edited film and screened footage. He loved it. I think that this was his first exposure to the film making process. He was facinated, and wanted to understand everything that we were doing. He was a mental sponge. We were only in High School.
He went on to do such amazing things. I always knew that whatever this guy did, it would be very big.
It sure was. All that had the great priviledge of knowing him will miss him deeply.
Genious and guts are a rare combination. Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Hugh Hefner, Steve Jobs and Mike Degruy. All changed our world and the lives that we lead.
Tom Grisham
Report Post »patriotnanamom
Posted on February 5, 2012 at 8:55pmFriend of family, grew up with Mike in Mobile AL watching my sister and he in Mobile Country Club swim and diving meets… the family is/was remarkable…. 4 boys excelled in chosen vocations… Mike was full of zest for living and wonder of nature…. we have lost a treasure…. much too young…
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