Deadly Crossing


Genre: Documentaries


Duration: 1 x 60’


Year of Production: 2008


Production Company: Beyond Productions


Commissioned By: truTV USA


Definition: HD


Six men, two weeks and the deadliest stretch of ocean in the world. Known as the Graveyard of The Pacific, 2000 ships have come to grief there and 700 sailors lie dead on the sea floor. On the border of Oregon and Washington State, a sand bar forces billions of gallons of water from the Columbia River direct into the swells of the Pacific. The result is giant waves and deadly currents. Deadly Crossing tracks an exclusive group of sea captains who pilot giant ships over the bar, keeping a billion dollar trade route open. These Columbia River Bar Pilots are followed for a fifteen-day straight shift. Any mistake puts the ship and lives at risk. The point of most peril for the pilots is boarding and disembarking at sea, either by a small pilot boat or helicopter. Both require perfect timing and skill in order to survive the manoeuvre in the pitching swells.