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David Attenborough reveals experience in his 30s that nearly took his life

David Attenborough reveals experience in his 30s that nearly took his life

Independent5 hours ago

Sir David Attenborough says he nearly drowned while testing scuba diving gear in the Great Barrier Reef in 1957, when he would've been around 31.
Attenborough shared the story with Prince William at the Royal Festival Hall in May during an event for his new documentary, Oceans.
The incident occurred when water flooded the helmet, leaving Attenborough unable to breathe or call for help.
The director of the documentary also tested the faulty equipment and experienced the same issue.
Attenborough's new documentary, Oceans, explores the ocean's poor health and potential restoration methods, showcasing discoveries and efforts across various regions; it is available on National Geographic, Disney+, and Hulu.

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Sir David Attenborough recalls almost drowning while diving
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Sir David was speaking to the Prince of Wales when he was promoting his latest film, Ocean with David Attenborough. Dramatic footage from the new film captures the destruction caused to the seabed by bottom trawling. While talking to Prince William, Sir David put an open-circuit helmet on his head which lead to him telling the story about how he once almost drowned when he tested a scuba diving outfit in 1957, reports the Metro. He was working and filming clips on the Great Barrier Reef when the incident happened, the newspaper explained. 'When I put mine (helmet) on for the first time, I suddenly felt water and thought, 'this can't be right'. But by the time the water got about there (pointing to under his nose) I thought, 'I'm sure this is not right',' he said. 'Of course, you've got this thing screwed on top of you and you can't breathe or make yourself heard. I was saying 'get it off me.'' He went on to say that the director wasn't convinced there was a fault with the equipment and insisted on trying it out himself. A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales) Sir David said: 'He grabbed it and said it was fine, but I again said there was a fault, and he put it on, and I'm happy to say, he went underwater and came up even faster than I did, because there was actually a fault on the thing', he said, laughing with the Prince about his ordeal. He talked about the destruction of the 'deep ocean floor' that has occurred since his first dive, describing it as 'just unspeakably awful'. Sir David was one of the first people to explore the ocean. Ocean With David Attenborough was released in cinemas to mark the renowned naturalist and TV presenter's 99th birthday and includes a sequence where the camera follows a bottom trawl, where nets are dragged with a metal beam across the seabed to catch fish. Recommended reading: How to watch Ocean with David Attenborough at home this week 17 fascinating facts about Sir David Attenborough's career as he turns 99 Sir David Attenborough opens up about 'the end of my life' in new documentary As the iron chains travel across the ocean floor, they can be seen bulldozing through the habitat, stirring up silt which releases carbon and scooping up species indiscriminately. The footage is thought to be the first time the process has been filmed in such high quality, showing the scale of destruction caused by trawling. You can watch the new film in UK cinemas or on Disney+.

Sir David Attenborough recalls almost drowning while diving
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Sir David was speaking to the Prince of Wales when he was promoting his latest film, Ocean with David Attenborough. Dramatic footage from the new film captures the destruction caused to the seabed by bottom trawling. While talking to Prince William, Sir David put an open-circuit helmet on his head which lead to him telling the story about how he once almost drowned when he tested a scuba diving outfit in 1957, reports the Metro. He was working and filming clips on the Great Barrier Reef when the incident happened, the newspaper explained. 'When I put mine (helmet) on for the first time, I suddenly felt water and thought, 'this can't be right'. But by the time the water got about there (pointing to under his nose) I thought, 'I'm sure this is not right',' he said. 'Of course, you've got this thing screwed on top of you and you can't breathe or make yourself heard. I was saying 'get it off me.'' He went on to say that the director wasn't convinced there was a fault with the equipment and insisted on trying it out himself. A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales) Sir David said: 'He grabbed it and said it was fine, but I again said there was a fault, and he put it on, and I'm happy to say, he went underwater and came up even faster than I did, because there was actually a fault on the thing', he said, laughing with the Prince about his ordeal. He talked about the destruction of the 'deep ocean floor' that has occurred since his first dive, describing it as 'just unspeakably awful'. Sir David was one of the first people to explore the ocean. Ocean With David Attenborough was released in cinemas to mark the renowned naturalist and TV presenter's 99th birthday and includes a sequence where the camera follows a bottom trawl, where nets are dragged with a metal beam across the seabed to catch fish. Recommended reading: How to watch Ocean with David Attenborough at home this week 17 fascinating facts about Sir David Attenborough's career as he turns 99 Sir David Attenborough opens up about 'the end of my life' in new documentary As the iron chains travel across the ocean floor, they can be seen bulldozing through the habitat, stirring up silt which releases carbon and scooping up species indiscriminately. The footage is thought to be the first time the process has been filmed in such high quality, showing the scale of destruction caused by trawling. You can watch the new film in UK cinemas or on Disney+.

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