Dicing with death was a way of life for Donald Cambell as it had been for his father before him. When his father died from a stroke in 1949 Cambell inherited his record breaking boat the K4.
But in 1951 Cambell crashed K4 at 170mph and after building a new boat K7 his fortunes changed.
Records
He set seven water speed records between 1955 and 1964 finally reaching 273.3mph in 1964. It was Cambells insatiable quest for glory that took him and his jet powered boat Bluebird to Conniston Water in Cumbria England in January 1967.
The day before he was due to make yet another attempt to break his own record Cambell played a form of patience which he used to fill his time. One one hand he turned up an Ace of Spades followed by the Queen of Spades, a hand dealt to Mary Queen of Scots the evening before her execution. "I know that one of my family is going to get the chop" he told reporters "I pray to God its not me"
Nevertheless Cambell decided the time was right and set off up the lake. He took Bluebird up to 297mph but needed to make a return run to meet with the requirements of the record. Without refueling thus making the craft lighter but faster he turned and took the boat up to speed in the wake he had set up on his first run. As the craft reaches an estimated 300mph over the radio link the support team heard Cambell become alarmed.
"Shes tamping, the waters not good....I cant see much....I'm going......I'm on my back.....I'm gone.
Bluebird vaulted from the Lakes surface, somersaulted repeatedly before crashing killing Cambell instantly.
The location of Bluebird and Cambells body eluded his family and divers for more than three decades however in November 2000 34years after she sank Bluebird was located having lain undisturbed 150feet down on the lake bed. There was no trace of Cambells remains were found. In March 2001 divers raised the wreck of the craft to the surface. Surrounded by air bags the crafts tail fin broke the surface of the water its Union Jack emblem still visible. Cambells widow Tonia Bern-Cambell had flown in from America to witness this historic event together with villagers, team members and family friends.
Bluebird was brought to the shore and placed in her boathouse from where the record breaking attempt had originally begun.
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