Mick Walters
Job Description
Operations Manager, Spotter Pilot
Period
1968 - 1969
As well as being Operations Manager, Mick was a qualified pilot and a diver. He would sometimes act as relieving spotter pilot. His nickname was “Wombat.”
He was a bit of a dare- devil. He once flew his plane between the masts of one of the ships, under the line. Ches Stubbs told him if he did it again he would shoot him with the harpoon.
One day they towed the shark cage out using the towboat. The cage had air tanks, the air was taken out of the tanks and the cage would drop. He would sometimes get out of the cage and swim with the sharks.
The shark cage was built so that the oil pipes could be checked if there was a break, but they never had to use it for that purpose. Nicky Dawson, a welder, made the cage and welded it all together.
Mick Walters