Friends remember Toronto filmmaker who died on dive
A Toronto filmmaker who was found dead days after he went missing while diving off the coast of Florida is remembered by his sister as a community-builder who brought about global change.
Rob Stewart’s body was found in the Florida Keys Friday, 90 metres from where he disappeared during a dive on earlier in the week. His remains were found after an extensive search, for which nearly $200,000 was raised.
“He had so much passion for what he was doing, and that passion brought people in,” said his sister, Alexandra Stewart.
The 37-year-old was best known for his 2006 documentary “Sharkwater,” about the rapidly declining shark population at the hands of illegal and recreational fishing, climate change and pollution.
Stewart was in Florida filming a follow-up to the documentary, called “Sharkwater: Extinction,” his sister said.
“Sharkwater” prompted people around the world to lobby their governments for bans on shark finning, the removal of the fins while tossing the rest of the carcass in the ocean.
Alexandra Stewart said her brother had an extraordinary way of working – with passion and commitment – and also an extraordinary lifestyle.
“My dad always called him a global citizen,” she said. “Whenever I picked up the phone to call him, I’d have no idea where he’d answer from. A boat off the coast of a small island, or L.A. for a movie premiere or even driving up North - even though he hated the cold.”
She said her family is trying to figure out a way to best honour his legacy.
“We’re very committed to making sure his mission is carried out,” she said.
Stewart had been diving with friends on Tuesday when he was last seen. They were diving deep – about 70 metres down, which the coast guard said is deeper than many people are able to go – near Alligator Reef in the Florida Keys.
His diving partner lost consciousness as he got into the dive boat, Stewart’s sister previously told The Canadian Press. The U.S. Coast Guard said as others tended to the man and gave him oxygen, Stewart disappeared.