James Cameron Almost Died Shooting One Of His Most Iconic Movies
To say James Cameron has developed a reputation for pushing the boundaries of blockbuster cinema throughout his celebrated career would be a dramatic understatement. In fact, since breaking into showbiz under the tutelage of B-movie master Roger Corman, the Oscar-winning filmmaker has pretty much made it his life's ambition to do so. In that pursuit, he's delivered some of the most groundbreakingly original films of the last few decades, including 1989's deep-sea marvel "The Abyss."
As Cameron recounted when debuting his remastered version of "The Abyss" at Beyond Fest 2023, he opted to shoot as much as possible of the film — which charts a deep sea drilling crew's close encounter with an alien species — underwater. And in doing so, he says the decision nearly cost him his life. "We were working 30 feet down [underwater]," he told the Beyond Fest audience while noting the only way he could maneuver himself and a camera in the deep was to don full scuba gear and weigh himself down at the waist and ankles.
He did, however, add that there was a full team of safety divers at the ready just in case something went wrong with either the cast or the crew on set. Unfortunately, he also noted that when he experienced unexpected technical difficulties with his gear, "they weren't watching me." And yes, it seems Cameron narrowly escaped the life-threatening experience alive.
A series of safety failures on The Abyss put Cameron in mortal peril
As for what led to James Cameron's near-death experience on "The Abyss," it appears several factors played into the harrowing ordeal. In regaling the Beyond Fest audience with the story, Cameron said it started because of an issue with his diving gear. "When the tank gets low, you get a warning that you're about to run out of air," Cameron recalled. "Well, this thing had a piston servo regulator in it, so it was one breath ... and then nothing." Matters turned even more perilous when Cameron realized he couldn't get the attention of his crew because they were too busy setting up the scene.
The film's underwater director of photography, Al Giddings, was among those oblivious to the filmmaker's predicament, with Cameron claiming he couldn't hail the DP on comms because a past diving mishap had left the shooter partially deaf. Even after shedding his gear and getting the attention of a safety diver, a tear in their own breathing apparatus left him pulling water into his lungs as he gasped for air.
"At that point, it was almost check out point," Cameron recalled, noting that the unwitting diver trying to save his life almost helped end it while following well-established safety procedures regarding resurfacing divers. If not for a desperate final act, Cameron may not have made it, with "The Abyss" helmer claiming, "So I punched him in the face and swam to the surface ... and therefore survived." Cameron apparently told the terrifying story in casual fashion, but it's safe to assume there was nothing casual about the death-defying event when it happened.