Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954), Thursday 28 October 1937, page 6


DEATH OF DIVER.

DURING UNDERWATER FILMING.

ON BARRIER REEF.

While engaged in diving scenes for the picture "Typhoon Treasure," the Commonwealth Film Laboratory pro-duction now being filmed at Green Island and directed by Mr. Noel Monkman, one of the employees, James Bell, lost his life yesterday afternoon. The members of the under-water section of the production were working on a reef about a mile from the jetty when the tragedy occurred.

About 2.45 p.m., Mr. Bruce Cum-mings, who is doing the submarine photography, went down in the diving cylinder, followed a few minutes later by the diver, James Bell. Mr. H. Gamble, who is on holidays at Green Island, was attending to the telephone to the diving cylinder at the time. The tender received a tug on the life line from Bell, which indicated that every-thing was all right.

A few minutes later when the diving cylinder came into the correct position to shoot the scene, Mr. Cummings noticed Bell, and it appeared that something was wrong and that he did not have hold of the life line.

Mr. Cummings immediately spoke through the phone to Mr. Gamble to signal to see if Bell was all right Mr. Cummings could see the signal by the life line, to which Bell did not re-spond. He immediately called out to pull Bell up quickly and also to pull the cylinder up. This was done, and when Bell reached the surface the face glass was unscrewed and it was then seen that Bell was dead. Artificial respiration was immediately applied, but Bell was beyond all human aid.

BROUGHT TO CAIRNS.

Deceased was then placed on the Yarrabah Mission boat Correel and was brought to Green Island and thence to Cairns, arriving at Cairns about 7.30 p.m. The body was taken to the morgue and a post mortem examination will be held this morning.

Last year the late Mr. Bell did all the diving for Mr. Bruce Cummings when making shorts, including under-

water work.

Deceased had been on Green Island for the past 18 months, and during the recent tourist season he con ducted Mr. C. Hayles' aquarium on Green Island. He was a single man about 39 years of age, and it is be lieved his relatives reside at Wattle glen, Victoria.