Mike deGruy (left) and Andrew Wight (der) worked on side of Cameron (cent). Photo from the National Geographic website. SPECIAL

• Both were working on a documentary about ‘Papua New Guinea’

They lost their lives when their helicópetro crashed in a rural airstrip South of Sydney

Sydney, AUSTRALIA (05/FEB/2012)-two well-known filmmakers who worked on a documentary with film director James Cameron, winner of the Academy Award with the film “Titanic”, and National Geographic magazine, died when crashed his helicopter in Australia, this group announced Sunday.

Andrew Wight, 52 years of age, and Mike deGruy, 60, both gentlemen had long been Cameron, lost their lives when their helicopter crashed in a rural airstrip South of Sydney, said National Geographic in a statement posted on its web site.

According to local media reports, both were in Australia working on a documentary about Papua New Guinea.

Recently, Wight was one of the producers of the film “Sanctum 3D” with director James Cameron, who directed the movie “Avatar” and “Titanic”, after accompany him on six documentary expeditions at the bottom of the ocean.

DeGruy, a diver and underwater driver to win an Emmy with 30 years of experience in oceanic shooting, led the underwater photography of the film by Cameron “Last Mysteries of the Titanic” (“last mysteries of the Titanic”).

Cameron said the two had died “doing exactly what most loved, heading to sea on a new and challenging expedition personally”.

“Were passionate narrators of stories who lived according to the code of the Explorer of humor, empathy, optimism and courage,” said Cameron in the communiqué from National Geographic.

“His death is a tremendous loss to the world of underwater exploration, conservation, and the cinematography,” he added.

The police, who by now was unable to confirm their identities, said that the two men – a Melbourne pilot and a passenger of United States – died at the scene of an accident of helicopter in Jasper’s Brush, South of Nowra, on Saturday afternoon.