“Sweetwater” River Safety, Rio Chama

New Wave was hired to provide river safety for the production of the film “Sweetwater”, being shot on the banks of the Rio Chama, below Abiquiu Dam. The location manager that had hired us the year before, for the filming of an NBC pilot shot along the Rio Grande, called me up for this shoot.


Water safety was required because there was one scene that had the female lead out in the river, bathing. Britt Runyon (aka Huggins), New Wave’s Operations Manager and Official Photographer/Videographer, got to stand a short ways downstream from the actors and crew, with a throw rope at the ready (and took all the photos seen here). I (Steve Miller) sat in a raft 100 yds downstream, just in case the lady got swept downstream past Britt. All of this safety activity was just barely warranted, however, because the producers had prevailed upon the Army Corp of Engineers to lower the dam release that day, and the river was now lots tamer than the day before. This particular bend of the Rio Chama has become a favorite of producers of Western films. We did river safety for an HBO film, “The Last Outlaw”, at the very same spot over 10 years ago (see the photo on our website, under “Film Production”). And just last night, I spotted that location while watching “Comanche Moon”, the prequel of “Lonesome Dove”. “Sweetwater” stars January Jones and Ed Harris. Don’t miss it!
Steve takes charge of river safety.

January Jones blows the bad guys away.

Equipment