Donald Campbell dies attempting World Water Speed Record

[trd2009]

i think we should give him the record of reaching 300 mph. thats all he wanted and he was 2.5mph negative. he deserves that at least.

[Generation1Terrorist]

What a guy

[750sLaverda]

What Donald says on the transmission is: "I can't see much and water's very bad indeed...I can't get over the top...I'm getting a lot of bloody row in here...I can't see anything... I've got the bows up...I'm gone...oh...". Fantastic man, a bloody hero who was shamefully only recognised by his country after his death when he was posthumously awarded the Queen's commendation for bravery. Possessed of courage and tenacity who wished to emulate his unforgiving father and to keep Britain 1st.

[floghit]

hell yeah, that my grans brother!

[brickmaster555]

@floghit

We are related- he's my great grandma's cousin.

[OriginAndAbsolution]

Does he say 'I think the bow is up' between 'I can't see anything' and 'I'm going' ? He definitely says something..

[powerspade]

A legend

[zeek3177]

Damn almost 300mph, WTF, that hella fast speed

[dfcvda]

and all because he was impatient, the wake that he created on the up was still spreading out, if he had waited a bit longer it may not have happened.

This is not my opinion, its one of the findings.

[MasacruRo]

his last words "I've gone"

[MsDamJo]

this is bullshit!

[inxyEdits]

durp

[yoyothehobo1234]

I respect the man greatly, i have myself set a powerboating world speed record for my class (T850) on the lake, which has now been broken unfortunately, i am only 21 and i understand the magnitude of the man and the memories associated with blasting down the lake in the pursuit of speed.

No doubt he was happy when he went, doing what he loved. A speed king and one that deserves to be remembered.

I will never get the opportunity to experience anything close to the speeds he was doing.

[MrDravenLee]

My dad met Donald Cambell a week before this crash. My dad was a delivery driver.He often called at Leo Villa's home during work.Leo often invited my dad in for breakfast.My dad said he had hand made models of bluebird etc on shelves in his hallway.My dad went there a week before he was killed and Donald was there.My dad spoke to him and Donald signed an invoice my dad had.My nan use to look after his daughter too.I believe my nan said her name was Georgina!?But i can't remember for certain.

[mickrise]

I was at Lake Dumbleyung, Western Australia, yesterday (15/09/10) where he broke the record on 31 Dec 1964. He is still talked about, and there are still tributes to him there. He left a wonderful lasting impression on the town. It was early in the am and there was a very thick mist. I was completely alone. Incredible moment.

[threetexas]

damn...dats crucial

[arodgers84]

@threetexas Crucial to what?

[bugibbab0y]

@arodgers84 and what`s "dats" this guys comment must rate as the most ridiculous on youtube

[MungretLass]

I was at that lake just recently. There's a plaque dedicated to him nearby.

[zerowski]

Why did it take until 2001 to recover his body??????

[syeager9]

@zerowski They simply didn't look for it back then. It was quite clear he was dead after they couldn't find his body in a day or 2.

[zerowski]

@syeager9 obviously the man was dead........I find it hard to understand that it took over 4 decades to recover his remains , would have thought his family would have prefered to give him a proper burial

[syeager9]

@zerowski I guess local authorities back then didn't have resources or desire to recover his body or the wreckage. After all it was just a private stunt. So nobody was even looking. Nothing like an airliner crash or anything else that can affects public safety and require a complete investigation. The recovery was performed many years later by a private group of enthusiasts.

[dfcvda]

@zerowski its extremely deep

[TheWhitehall]

The End of the Speed King.

[p1nkAcid]

what is with the creepy story build up

[mistofoles]

My uncle was on the original search/rescue team who looked for Campbell's body.

[jonnygator1]

@mistofoles my uncle also was on the jetty that day. He was a reporter and a close friend of donald

[ianupton]

i think the final 'oh' was more of a groan. if you look at this, when he flips the amount of negative g force would have killed him before the impact, at least knocked him out cold. so i think its "im going...urghh' and this would be around the time before impact. the rest of the roll would have been spent out of it. i am also sure you can see his helmet drop in the water on its own during the last seconds of the crash on clearer versons of this video. a brave man.

[Jojoseahorse]

Very courageous; he died doing what he loved - how many of us go for it like that? I should be inspired to try harder, seeing someone like him. I had read the story while researching something else in old newspapers in the library; I never imagined it would be on Youtube. They should make a movie about him - what a story :)

[eezy1972]

There is a film about the record attempt.

[Jojoseahorse]

@eezy1972 Yeah I heard there was a made for British TV movie in 1988, but it does not appear to be out on DVD and the only copies available on video are not compatible with my US player. It would still make a good big screen biopic :)

[chatham43]

....certainly would.....maybe with a bit of American finance it could happen....pity though that Campbell would probably then develop an American accent.........

[MrPlatinum1000]

He didn't refuel making his boat lighter and less stable.Also he didn't give the water enough time to calm down from his first run,HUMAN ERROR.

[ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

What an idiot. Who cares about such inane things?

[frookymook]

if it was not for people like him we would still be in the stone age .he died a very brave man and may he rest in peace.with out the idiots and cowards making stupid comments about him. rip.

[Gederic1]

I'm going... Oh!  *glub-glub*

[lamage89]

What the hell man...respect his death dont make fun of it...ther would be no glub glub he would hjave died on impact fag

[Gederic1]

Sorry, mate. I was just speculating he may have had some rudimentary awareness whilst slipping beneath the waves. Ergo... "glub-glub". Fag.

[ScooterZn]

I don't believe he was knighted, he was awarded a CBE though.

Dying like that sure beats the hell out of crapping into a diaper while going gaga in a rest home.

Ave atque vale!

[fearbeforefearbefore]

To be honest, if you have to die, that's a pretty epic way to go.

+respect. The only man to set land speed records on water and land in the same year.

[ameliag27]

that impact souned added

[moontunes100]

I was six at the time nearly 7 at the time but I remember the impact it had on me as all the family watched it live, My sister, Mother, Father, and I just looked at each other in stunned silence it must have been a Saturday or Sunday as my Father took the family to Rudyard Lake just to pacify me as I wanted to find him, Conistone was way to far from our area, and it was nice of him to make feel like I was helping but at the same time knowing that I was innocent to believe it was the site. RIP

[chatham43]

....nice story....

[CPen999]

@moontunes100 - same here - I must have been about the same age - and was stunned by the event seeing it on an old B&W telly. Rudyard Lake always brought to me the same thoughts too (still does).

[kingarthurup]

@moontunes100

did you find him?

[shawnhbkdx90]

i have made a lego bluebird k7

[bachmanthomas21]

hay..... me two!

[TurboBoy996]

it was actualy the 4th Jan 1967 When BlueBird K7 Crashed on Lake Conistone killing Sir Donald Malcom Campbell doing 300mph + bluebird lifted up out of the water flipped summer saulted then crashed so so so so sad Donald Campbell a true real british Hero R.IP

[Sqdrn1]

Coniston Water - not Lake Conistone ( bit pedantic but accurate)

Very sad they say it was the previously untride water brake that made his wake continue so long and large that his decision to return without waiting the 'Go' directive from Leo and team so disasterous.. Worse if the record officials allowed a tailplane at that time it would probably not have flipped

[ashleigh101664]

im going! oh

[userblue]

RIP.