World

National Geographic says award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia.

Police say an Australian helicopter pilot and his American passenger died at the scene Saturday when they crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles (156 kilometres) north of Sydney.

National Geographic and Australian director David Cameron confirmed in a statement Sunday the victims' identities and said "the deep-sea community lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the two underwater documentary specialists.

David Bennett, president of Australia's South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the pair had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.