A wildlife documentary producer has told a fatal accident inquiry she felt immediate concern for a cameraman's safety after seeing him film a handheld Facebook Live while airborne, shortly before he died in a mid-air paramotor collision.
The Fatal Collision in the Highlands
Dan Burton, 54, from Devon, was killed on 18 September 2021 when his paramotor collided with another flown by environmentalist and colleague Sacha Dench. The accident occurred near Loch Na Gainmhich in Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands. The pair were working on a documentary highlighting climate change ahead of the COP26 conference, as part of Ms Dench's 3,000-mile round-Britain paramotor challenge.
Ms Dench, known as the "human swan" following a previous acclaimed expedition documented by the BBC in Flight of the Swans, survived the crash but sustained serious injuries.
Producer's Testimony on Safety Protocols
Amber Eames, who directed and produced the earlier Flight of the Swans project, gave evidence virtually to the inquiry at Tain Sheriff Court. She stated she was not involved in the 2021 expedition but watched Mr Burton's Facebook Live broadcast on the day of the accident.
Ms Eames described the 53-second clip, shown to the court by fiscal depute Jemma Eadie, as featuring "wobbly" footage that swivelled to show the pilot's lap. She confirmed this was the handheld footage that raised her alarm. "I was concerned because the shot wasn't settling and I could see the person that was filming was airborne," Ms Eames told the inquiry.
She explained that on the 2016-17 expedition, she had implemented strict protocols to separate flying and filming duties to avoid dangerous "task-loading." This practice, learned on safety courses, aims to prevent distraction for individuals in high-risk roles like pilots or divers.
Previous Disagreements and Resignation
Ms Eames, who has worked in around 40 countries, detailed how the earlier documentary used fixed cameras on paramotors, drones with separate pilots, and ground-based crews. She revealed she had previously disagreed with Ms Dench about filming with a selfie stick during Flight of the Swans, though she accepted the activist was qualified to make her own decisions.
"My protocol was to take filming away from pilots so they could focus on flying," she stated. The inquiry also heard that a cameraman had resigned during the Russian leg of the earlier expedition due to safety concerns, prompting Ms Eames to call for a dedicated ground manager.
Ms Eames said she commented on her concerns about the Facebook Live footage to a friend shortly after seeing it. She only learned of Mr Burton's death the following day, noting there was nothing in the video itself that foreshadowed the accident. The fatal accident inquiry continues.
