Industry standards “should never have allowed” a camera operator to die when a stunt went wrong, his father told an inquest.
Mark Milsome, 54, from Builth Wells, Powys, died after being hit by a Land Rover in Ghana in November 2017.
He had been working on the Netflix and BBC drama Black Earth Rising.
Doug Milsome, himself a big screen cinematographer, spoke at West London Coroner’s Court on the opening day of the hearing into his son’s death.
“I have shot Bond movies and death-defying action sequences far more complex than the ones that killed my son,” he said.
“The standards of professional stunt crew and producers, those who make key decisions, should never have allowed Mark to die that night – a fact.”
Outlining the circumstances of Mr Milsome’s death, senior coroner Chinyere Inyama said a stunt car, a Land Rover Defender, was supposed to mount a ramp and then topple over.
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“The car mounted the ramp but took off and ploughed into Mr Milsome,” he said.
The self-employed cameraman originally from London, who was known for his work on hits including Quantum Of Solace and Cliffhanger, suffered fatal injuries.
‘Completely shocking’
Dean Byfield, first assistant director on the production, told the inquest he had “no misgivings” ahead of the stunt.
But he said it ended up being “completely shocking and unexpected”.
He said there had not been an “entirely inclusive all-encompassing safety briefing” that night, but that it would not have been standard either.
Details were heard about a risk assessment being completed three days before the incident which referred to potential hazards including burns from flames and poor visibility.
But Adrian Waterman QC, the family’s barrister, said: “There is no reference at all to the risk of the vehicle going out of control and hitting someone.”
Mr Byfield agreed, but said he did not think he had seen that risk assessment.
The inquest continues.
