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Film-makers Mike deGruy and Andrew Wight killed in helicopter smash

Titanic director James Cameron pays tribute to his deep-sea brothers who had accomplished 'extraordinary things'


We’ve just heard the sad news that SANCTUM producer Andrew Wight has died in a helicopter crash off the coast of New South Wales in Australia. The filmmaker perished with BAFTA and Emmy award winner Mike deGruy in the accident whilst they were apparently scouting locations for a new project.

Wight was just 51 years old and deGruy 60.

Wight was worked on a variety of projects for James Cameron including the 3D underwater film GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS in 2003 before going on to write and produce SANCTUM last year, a film that was executive-produced by Cameron. SANCTUM was based on Wight’s own experience revolving around his near-death incident in an underwater cave. It went on to take $100 million at the box-office.

Mike deGruy was an award-winning cinematographer, working on such projects as DEEP BLUE and many other TV wildlife documentaries. He tweeted four days before the crash; “Been in Australia 2 weeks, one to go then off to PNG. Love this place – especially Sydney on Australia Day.”

They were apparently due to work on an upcoming project together said to be a documentary about Papua, New Guinea.

Police said two people – a pilot and a passenger – died on Saturday when their aircraft crashed soon after takeoff near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities. ABC News reported that Wight had been piloting the helicopter.

The pair's employers, National Geographic and the Titanic director, James Cameron, confirmed the victims' identities, adding that "the deep-sea community had lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the underwater documentary specialists.

"Mike and Andrew were like family to me," the director added. "They were my deep-sea brothers and both were true explorers who did extraordinary things and went places no human being has been."