David Attenborough reveals terrifying time he virtually drowned when testing scuba diving tools

Sir David Attenborough’s first dive to see the Nice Barrier Reef sticks with him for lots of causes – together with the truth that he virtually drowned.

The nationwide treasure, who celebrated his 99th birthday final month, mentioned that this underwater expedition in 1957 is the ‘second he remembers most vividly’ out of all his travels.

And contemplating he is visited just about each far-flung nook of the world whereas filming wildlife documentaries, that is saying one thing.

Almost seven many years in the past, the broadcaster and biologist was on his method to New Guinea when he made a cease off in Australia to dive right down to the Nice Barrier Reef, regardless that he was ‘no type of underwater swimmer’.

Attenborough told The Guardian in 2015: “I didn’t know what I used to be doing! From all my travels, the primary time I placed on scuba gear and dived on the coral reef is the second I bear in mind most vividly.

“All of the sudden, this superb world with a thousand belongings you didn’t know existed is revealed proper in entrance of you, all fantastic colors and shapes.

“Simply the very factor of going underwater itself is thrilling, as immediately you might be launched from the shackles of gravity and you’ll transfer wherever – nice shoals of fish, the reef is as wealthy because it comes, as various and as stunning because it will get.”

However what he did not point out in the course of the interview a decade in the past is that he virtually drowned whereas testing a scuba-diving helmet on the dive to the world’s largest coral reef system in 1957.

Throughout a dialogue with Prince William about his newest documentary, Ocean, Attenborough defined how his headgear ended up flooding with water when he went beneath the floor.

Check out what he needed to say right here:



Whereas sitting down with the inheritor to the throne on the Royal Competition Corridor in Could, Attenborough hilariously tried on an previous school-style open-circuit scuba helmet.

He grabbed the tools which was famed by French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, as he instructed William that carrying one was ‘definitely an odd factor to do’.

As he popped the helmet over his head, the Prince of Wales appeared to panic as he instructed Attenborough whereas laughing: “Don’t do this, David! You received’t get it off.”

After eradicating the protecting face protecting, the Blue Planet star started reciting the occasions of what occurred the primary time he’d put one on.

“Once I put mine on for the primary time, I immediately felt water coming round [my chin and up over my mouth],” Attenborough mentioned. “I believed, ‘This may’t be proper’.

“And by the point [the water rose to my nose], I believed, ‘I’m certain this isn’t proper’.”

“However then, in fact, for those who bought this factor screwed on prime of you, you may’t breathe,” Attenborough continued. “You may’t even make your self heard, : ‘Get it off me!’”

The environmentalist then defined that the bloke who was ‘directing the operation’ thought he was overreacting and did not actually consider that there was a fault.

“So he put it on and I’m glad to say he went underneath the water and got here up even faster than I did, as a result of there was truly a fault,” Attenborough laughed.

The primary screening of Ocean With David Attenborough passed off on the Southbank Centre in London on 6 Could, and the TV star took the chance to clarify why ocean restoration is so necessary for our planet.

“After virtually 100 years on the planet, I now perceive a very powerful place on Earth just isn’t on land, however at sea,” Attenborough mentioned.

Promising to be ‘very totally different’ to his different initiatives, one of many administrators of Ocean mentioned: “Nothing has come near how necessary this movie is.”