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Renowned Local Videographer Drowns While Filming Underwater Documentary

POCOLA (KFSM) — A well-known Fort Smith videographer and Emmy-award winning documentarian died over the weekend while filming for a documentary in Pocola....
POCOLA (KFSM) -- A well-known Fort Smith videographer and Emmy-award winning documentarian died over the weekend while filming for a documentary in Pocola.

"He was an incredible human being," said Robert "Champ" Wiliams' mother Lisa Hinton. "When he was a kid, he would not only make legos he would make it the ultimate lego thing and if he could make it move- it would move."

Hinton said Williams was a master diver and marine biologist. He won an Emmy for his under water documentary "Attack Of The Sea Slugs".

Hinton said he was working on a four year long documentary, that he called "Ozark Underwater", when his body was found in a one-thousand gallon tank about 2 and a half feet deep. Inside the tank was a 200-pound turtle.

"He was filming, I think he referred to it as, his river monster which was his 200-pound permitted turtle that he's had for probably almost four years. He was going to let it go this weekend but he wanted to do some additional footage for his documentary."

Friday at 7:08 p.m., Williams posted a picture of his breathing tank with this caption:

"I've got a date with a 200-pound river monster tonight! I just finished prepping the Re-breather. Wish me luck!"

A Re-breather is a breathing apparatus that recycles air in an effort to keep bubbles at bay. It's a technique under water documentarians often use.

His family said they believe something went wrong with his Re-breather.

"He doesn't make mistakes. We don't know if there was a malfunction. Either gasses over took him and he drown or obviously something happened and that's what took his life." Hinton said.

Family members said Williams was filming inside of the tank.

"I know they are having a hard time right now retrieving footage off the camera that was going when his accident happened because it's so high-tech. And I'm not surprised. It's state of the art and he was just talented," Hinton said.

Family members said once the footage is retrieved they will rely on the help of hi co-workers to finish the documentary.

"It will probably win an Emmy," Hinton said.

His friend Kevin Croxton, who wrote the score for his other Emmy win said he had been in contact with Wiliams.

"Champ and I talked a few weeks ago. He was real excited about the documentary and expected his editing process to be complete in April. He told me to expect to see scenes this winter to help me prepare for the musical score," Croxton said.

Williams has spent more than five years as a videographer for University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.

UAFS sent 5NEWS the following statement:

"He was a scholar. He was a great talent with a lot of imagination and someone that's going to be greatly missed in this community."

Williams posted the following picture to Facebook on Friday night.

His work has appeared on the History Channel and National Geographic.

Renowned Local Videographer Drowns While Filming Underwater Documentary

 

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