Rob Stewart (filmmaker): Difference between revisions

In late January 2017, Stewart was in Florida filming ''[[Sharkwater Extinction]]'', a sequel to ''Sharkwater''. On January 31, he and his dive partner resurfaced from a deep wreck dive of the ''[[HMCS Canada#Queen of Nassau|Queen of Nassau]]''. His dive leader Peter Sotis fell unconscious while boarding the crew's boat, and as the ship team rushed to provide assistance, Stewart, who was still in the water, vanished.<ref>[http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/02/01/rob-stewart-sharkwater-florida-dive.html Update: Rob Stewart vanished while boat crew rushed to aid dive partner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203175621/http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/02/01/rob-stewart-sharkwater-florida-dive.html? |date=February 3, 2017 }}, ''[[Metro International|Metro]]'', February 1, 2017.</ref> [[Paul Watson]], a marine wildlife conservation and environmental activist and friend of Stewart, noted that he had been using a [[rebreather]], which could have rendered him unconscious as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/us-coast-guard-to-suspend-search-for-toronto-filmmaker-rob-stewart/article33899274/ |title=Toronto filmmaker Rob Stewart found dead: U.S. Coast Guard |website=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=February 3, 2017 |first=Brad |last=Wheeler}}</ref>

A search was launched, and on February 3, the [[United States Coast Guard]] located Stewart's body in the water approximately {{convert|200|ft}} down, close to where he disappeared.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/canadian-documentary-maker-missing-florida-keys-970904 |title=Canadian Director Found Dead in the Florida Keys |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date= February 3, 2017 |first=Etan |last=Vlessing}}</ref><ref name="Death">{{cite web |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/search-for-canadian-filmmaker-missing-since-florida-dive-suspended-after-body-found|title=Rob Stewart, Canadian filmmaker who vanished during Florida dive, found dead|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|work=[[National Post]]|date=February 4, 2017|access-date=February 4, 2017}}{{dead-link|date=September 2021}}</ref> His funeral was held at [[Bloor Street United Church]] in Toronto on February 18, 2017. Released months later, the autopsy report from the Monroe County medical examiner said he died from drowning after falling to ([[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]]) at the surface of the ocean.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article165989352.html |title='Sharkwater' diver drowned after lack of oxygen on the surface, autopsy says |first=David |last=Goodhue |website=Miami Herald |date=8 August 2017}}</ref>

Stewart was working on a sequel film, ''[[Sharkwater Extinction]]'', at the time of his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://etcanada.com/news/326890/teaser-from-the-late-rob-stewarts-third-film-sharkwater-extinction-released/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511173818/https://etcanada.com/news/326890/teaser-from-the-late-rob-stewarts-third-film-sharkwater-extinction-released/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 11, 2018 |title=Teaser From The Late Rob Stewart's Third Film 'Sharkwater: Extinction' Released |website=[[ET Canada]] |date=May 11, 2018 |first=Kate |last=Morawetz}}</ref> Using footage already shot by Stewart as well as his written comments,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.business.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2018-08-23/new-prof-has-film-premiering-tiff |title=New UWindsor prof's shark doc premiering at TIFF |date=23 August 2018 | first=Dylan |last=Kristy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910014847/http://www.business.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2018-08-23/new-prof-has-film-premiering-tiff |archive-date=110 September 2018}}</ref> the movie was completed by film and story editor [[Nick Hector]] and director [[Sturla Gunnarsson]] for the Rob Stewart Foundation. It premiered at the [[2018 Toronto International Film Festival]] in September, as a "Special Event" screening that also incorporated a memorial tribute to Stewart and his legacy; the official release date was set for October 5.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-tiff-2018-sharkwater-extinction-and-the-legacy-of-rob-stewart/ |title=TIFF 2018: Sharkwater Extinction and the legacy of Rob Stewart |website = The Globe and Mail | date=5 September 2018 |first=Brad |last=Wheeler}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2018/08/01/sharkwater-sequel-and-end-of-arcands-empire-trilogy-coming-to-tiff.html |title=Sharkwater sequel and end of Arcand's Empire trilogy coming to TIFF | website=[[Toronto Star]] |date=August 1, 2018 |first=Peter |last=Howell}}</ref> His mother Sandy Stewart said about the completion of the film that "[the] entire team stayed with it, everybody stepped up. We have people from all over the world – cinematographers, filmmakers, really important people – offering to help finish this, and that was really heartwarming."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/tiff/2018/09/07/sharkwater-extinction-carries-on-late-filmmaker-rob-stewarts-vision-say-his-parents.html |title=Sharkwater Extinction carries on late filmmaker Rob Stewart's vision, say his parents |website=[[Toronto Star]] |date= September 7, 2018 | first =Victoria |last=Ahearn | agency = [[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref>