A fatal accident inquiry has heard detailed evidence about the tragic mid-air collision that killed an experienced cameraman while he was filming a climate change activist known as the 'Human Swan'.
Safety Concerns Raised Before Fatal Crash
Wildlife documentary producer Amber Eames told Tain Sheriff Court she became concerned for cameraman Dan Burton's safety when she saw him using a handheld camera to film a Facebook Live broadcast while airborne. The 54-year-old from Devon died shortly afterwards when his paramotor collided with another flown by environmentalist Sacha Dench on 18 September 2021.
The accident occurred near Loch Na Gainmhich in Sutherland during a 3,000-mile round-Britain paramotor challenge designed to highlight climate change ahead of the COP26 conference. Ms Dench survived the crash but sustained serious injuries.
Protocols and Previous Disagreements
Ms Eames, who directed the BBC documentary Flight Of The Swans featuring Ms Dench's earlier expedition, explained that during that project she had implemented strict protocols to separate flying and filming duties. She described this as 'good practice' learned on safety courses, designed to avoid 'task-loading' where additional responsibilities distract people in dangerous situations.
The inquiry heard that the 2016-17 production used fixed cameras rigged to paramotors, drones operated by separate pilots, and ground-based crews to capture footage. Ms Eames revealed she had previously disagreed with Ms Dench about filming with a selfie stick during that expedition, though she acknowledged the activist was 'perfectly qualified to say what she was happy to do'.
Conflicting Testimony About Filming Practices
Project manager Peter Cranswick, who worked on Flight Of The Swans, offered contrasting testimony under cross-examination. He stated there had been no specific conversations with Ms Eames or others indicating that 'filming while in the air is something we need to worry about'.
Mr Cranswick emphasised that capturing footage was central to the expedition's purpose, noting: 'The premise of the expedition was to capture and relay what we were doing on social media and make a film. We knew Dan was a pioneer of filming.' He added that the health and safety principle was simply not to let filming cause distraction from the primary activity of flying.
The virtual hearing continues as the inquiry examines the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident during an ambitious environmental documentary project.
