The Terrifying Truth Behind the Near Fatal Jaws Filming Incident: Spielberg's Harrowing Escape from a Boating Disaster

Summary

Steven Spielberg reveals a near-fatal incident that occurred during the filming of Jaws when the boat sank due to a speedboat pulling too fast.

Production issues plagued Jaws, such as malfunctioning mechanical sharks and camera equipment damage caused by saltwater. However, despite these challenges, Spielberg's dedication to capturing authentic ocean footage with life-size sharks resulted in a visually captivating and thrilling experience for viewers.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Steven Spielberg revealed a terrifying incident that nearly ended in tragedy while filming Jaws. The renowned film, released in 1975, follows the journey of a police chief, a marine biologist, and an eccentric seafarer as they hunt down a great white shark on the Orca, a boat that became iconic.

Despite Jaws' immense success and its pivotal role in establishing the summer blockbuster phenomenon, it faced its share of challenges during production. One such challenge was a near-deadly mishap involving a boating accident. Spielberg described how a speedboat was pulling the Orca at an excessive speed, causing the planking to come loose and allowing water to flood in rapidly. Within a mere two minutes, the boat had sunk, leaving the cast and crew desperately pleading for lifeboats.

The intense and harrowing incident is recounted below, as Spielberg reflects on the terrifying moments that unfolded during the filming of Jaws.

A problem we encountered was when the speedboat pulling the Orca went excessively fast, causing the planking from the hull to be torn off. As a result, water quickly flooded into the boat, causing it to sink within a mere two minutes. What remains vivid in my memory is the moment when the actors were frantically shouting, "Send boats, rescue us, send boats!" Amidst the chaos, our esteemed sound mixer John Carter, who was a recipient of an Oscar for his exceptional work on Jaws, swiftly grabbed the Nagra recorder and raised it above his head. In an unexpected but somewhat humorous manner, he declared, "Forget about the actors, save the sound department!" This mental image has stayed with me, of John bravely submerging in the water, still gripping his recorder as it rose to his ankles, then reaching his knees, while the crew members aboard other boats hastily worked to evacuate everyone from the sinking Orca. Several months later, his hands would hold that very same Oscar, a well-deserved achievement!

Jaws' Troubled Production Explained

Not only did the Orca sink with the entire cast and crew on board, but Jaws also faced a multitude of problems during its notoriously troubled production. As the first movie to shoot on the open ocean, Jaws encountered various difficulties that resulted in the project going significantly over budget and behind schedule. The primary challenge arose from the mechanical sharks used in the film, which frequently malfunctioned due to adverse weather conditions and the corrosive effects of salt water. These complications are estimated to have incurred an additional $3 million in production costs, amounting to one-third of the movie's total budget of $9 million.

In addition to the malfunctioning mechanical sharks in the movie, filming at sea presented numerous challenges for production. The camera equipment suffered significant damage from seawater, unwanted boats frequently interrupted shots, and the cast and crew frequently experienced seasickness and sunburn. Nonetheless, Spielberg's dedication to shooting at sea with life-size mechanical sharks, rather than using an indoor tank or CGI, ultimately resulted in Jaws being visually captivating and evoking a genuine sense of danger for the audience.