Drones allow videographers to get some daring shots, especially in hostile natural environments. However, as close as they can get us to action, there are always risks. Just ask filmmaker Danny Mcgee. During a trip to Iceland, he decided to get close-up shots of the volcanos in the area. Down to his last SD card and drone battery, he sent his drone on one last round, only to nearly lose it to the lava.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Mcgee shows what could have been his drone’s final minutes. As it approaches the crater, one can hear the gurgling lava below. The explosions grow bigger, and Mcgee lowers the drone to shoot them in all their glory. However, bright orange drops of lava suddenly engulf the drone. While the device is capturing great visuals, it is simultaneously hit by incandescent material as it spins in the air “Oh, no! I lost it,” Mcgee can be heard saying.
In what can only be described as a miracle, the drone manages to escape the crater. Since some of its propellers have been hit by lava, it struggles to make it back to Mcgee’s side—but it does. “These are completely shattered and like, melted,” says Mcgee showing the charred parts. He smiles big with relief and excitement. “I thought for sure I was not getting the drone back. She’s a warrior.”
The intrepid footage was then used in one of his short films, offering the viewer a firsthand view of what it looks like to almost fall in a pit of lava. Scroll down to watch the video below.
Filmmaker Danny Mcgee nearly lost his drone to an Icelandic volcano, but got some mesmerizing footage of the lava.
Danny McGee: Website | YouTube
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