Well my latest update, I have spent the day sorting things out with Stewart from PPIB, my insurance company, Bruce Pottinger from L&P and Colin Johnson from Phase One. Total write-off of all gear in the bag, I believe, about $85-90 grand I think, I have no phone, it died, I thought that I got away scott free, but have some back & leg issues. Thanks to Mark "Ned" Kelly for being there to pull me out of the bay. I spent the day explaining to all that I met about what happened and basically became the village idiot, so to further explain for those that want to know what happened, here is the event; Got up at 4:30 headed down to Station Pier on Port Phillip Bay for a dawn shoot, got there ahead of Mark, so shot a few images while waiting around the docks, Mark arrived and after a short yarn, we headed of to shoot the Pier etc, the first choice was to shoot the Pier Posts from a low angle and to get the Restaurants and early pre-sunrise light & reflections which was amazing, I led and we walked down some cement steps that were each about two foot wide, the last two even in the very limited light you could see that they were wet from the tide receding, so caution required, I stepped on the second lowest step, whilst wet, was grippy rough surface, no problem, took the next step one foot first, and as soon as I put weight on it away went my foot, now I was carrying my camera and tripod above on my shoulder, the rest of the gear was in my backpack, which measures about D250mm W400mm H600mm. So with my feet going out from under me I landed full force on my back on the lower step, very lucky that my head did not hit the cement, however I think that it snapped my head back in a whiplash as my back & neck are very sore. Once on the deck gravity took over and into the bay I went, fully submerging into the very cold waters of Port Phillip Bay. Whilst tread watering holding my tripod and camera above my head, I seemed to be quite boyant for some reason, then after about 20-30 seconds, but it seemed minutes, I think that my backpack become waterlogged and no longer was the air inside supporting me, so down I went, camera and all, meanwhile Mark is shedding his gear and trying to get close enough to me to take the camera & tripod from me at my direction, but to late under I and the camera went, when I came up, Mark was there and grabbed the camera/tripod and took that of me, too late it had been submersed, then he set about pulling me out of the water, He dragged me out of the water like a beached whale, and it was at that point I think that I really became cold, but bugger me, I was frantically trying to recuse the camera and lenses, This all happened in the dark, so freezing cold, trying to dry out my gear, with what seemed to be a small lens cloth the Mark had. Anyway after about 10minutes it was clear that it was pointless to try and dry the gear out, it was soaking wet with seawater. Now freezing in wet cloths, we eventually got a taxi, ten minutes seems like hours when you shivering, but got the taxi, and again I am sure he took the long way back to where I was staying. Any thanks to friends and great business people it will be OK in the end, if not then it is not the end, cheers hope you enjoyed reading about my embarrassing life events and now it is time to go and have dinner and try to enjoy what is left of my birthday, 55 today, almost a pensioner !!!
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 09:07:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015