Cameraman’s mercy dash to other side of lens
A CAMERAMAN found himself getting a closer view than he ever envisaged during a real-life emergency filming a popular show about the work of a veterinary practice.
Garry Wakeham, from Llanberis, and producer Geraint Rowlands were working on S4C programme Y Fets when a cow fell over during labour, endangering its own and its calf’s life.
Cartrin Davies, from Ystwyth Vets, Aberystwyth – the practice featured in the series – was called out at short notice to the farm at Llanrhystud as the animal was encountering problems birthing her offspring. When the animal fell over its intestines protruded from its womb, so the vet asked for the men to help her and the farmer get it back on its feet, as the calf was under pressure from its mother and risking a potential infection. Garry left his camera rolling while the pair, who work for programme makers Boom Cymru, went to the aid of the stricken beast.
He said: “This is something fairly normal for a vet to deal with but Ger and I weren’t expecting to be called in. I don’t come from a farming background, I didn’t honestly know what was going on. But Catrin told us what to do. She was so cool and professional throughout the whole thing.
“The health of the animal (in the case of Y Fets) or the safety of the person I am filming is paramount to me. It doesn’t matter if I miss the shot.” Sadly the calf died but the cow did go on to foster another that had lost its mother.
Despite being a cameraman for almost 30 years and working on numerous nature programmes with people such as Iolo Williams, it was the first time Garry had been forced to abandon his viewfinder.
He said he’d got used to most of the stomachchurning sights he’d had to film as part of the series. However he admitted there was one element he still finds tough to deal with.
“Sometimes the most difficult thing is filming the owners – especially if their animal hasn’t survived,” he said. “It is difficult having to go back to do an interview with those owners where the treatment wasn’t successful, and the animal has died.” Picture: S4C and Boom Cymru