Augusto takes on Everest in Discovery’s Everest Rescue series; airs Tuesday nights on SKY TV
Augusto has added Discovery’s Everest Rescue Series to its ever increasing portfolio of global TV series and documentaries.
The adrenalin-filled six part series is currently screening Tuesday nights on SKY TV. Everest Rescue journeys to the tops of the treacherous Everest Himalayan Mountains highlighting the work of a rare breed of pilots who put their lives on the line to save those facing certain death.
The original idea for the series was conceived by Augusto back in 2014 after meeting several fellow kiwi’s with experience climbing and guiding on Everest.
Says Oliver Sealy, general manager, Augusto: “The whole thing sounded completely nuts. Pilots flying as high as camp three with people dangling from the bottom of helicopters that have had the doors and seats removed so as to fly even higher – We knew we had to make this show.”
Sealy and Augusto executive producter Cass Avery visited Nepal several times and despite avalanches, earthquakes, the country’s lack of infrastructure and the fierce competition between the operators working on Everest, they found the story they needed.
Says Avery: “No one takes you seriously if you’re not there on the ground, and then once you get there it’s easy to see why so many other productions fall over. There are power cuts every few hours, no clean drinking water and a 3 day long queue for petrol.
“But the Kiwi accent opens a lot of doors in Kathmandu, partly thanks to the ever present shadow of Sir Ed’s legend, but also because the most respected climbers, operators and pilots working there today are ex-pat New Zealanders.”
After two and half years of planning and development Discovery commissioned the six 1-hour episodes through a partnership with UK production company betty.
Everest Rescue features exclusive access to a group of diverse helicopter pilots as they manage emergency calls during the 2016 climbing season as well as intimate interviews with them and their loved ones. These rescue missions are made even riskier because of the limited amount of time there is to complete them due to the high altitude. Among the pilots featured in Everest Rescue is veteran Jason Laing (New Zealand).