A man braved
Typhoon Kalmaegi this morning to swim a portion of Hong Kong harbour, as a filmmaker captured it all on camera.
While the identity of the swimmer remains a mystery, we tracked down videographer
James Reynolds, owner of Earth Uncut, to find out more about this sensational clip.
Reynolds focuses on filming what he refers to as “significant natural events and disasters throughout the Asia Pacfici area”. His work, which includes typhoons and volcanic eruptions, is featured as breaking news on media stalwarts CNN and The Weather Channel. He is often the first one getting the news out via video, a talent he puts down to understanding the dynamics of nature and finding a quality 3G connection.
For Reynolds, when it rains it pours. After filming a typhoon in the Philippines he raced back to Hong Kong late last night to capture Typhoon Kalmaegi. He watched as the storm ramped up last night and seeing that the winds were still strong this morning, decided to venture out with a small camera near Laguna Verde.
As he was looking at the state of the harbour, Reynolds noticed a man among debris and the rough waters. He had seen many people swimming here before, mostly the elderly for their daily exercise, but never in this weather.
“My original thought was don’t drown, please,” Reynolds tells Localiiz. “Unfortunately I have seen people mess around in the water and drown.”
Calling Hong Kong home for nearly six years, Reynolds knew he had a great shot because it showed the quirkiness of the city he calls home. The man also provided the scale needed to show the size of the waves and masses of debris being tossed about.
Reynolds says he was about to rush over and help the man when he noticed a ladder, which the swimmer climbed after navigating his way past a floating chair and crashing waves.
Off camera, Reynolds approached the swimmer, who casually dried off with a towel, and looked for an interview. Unfortunately, due to a language barrier he was unable to find out why he went for a dip during a T8 typhoon.
To see more of Reynolds’ work, visit his
YouTube channel. The compilation
"2013 Typhoon Season - Most Intense Moments" is a favorite here in the Localiiz office.
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