Filming This Scene Almost Killed Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay may be famous for dropping a bleeped-out expletive or two on "Hell's Kitchen." But when he fell off a 280-foot cliff in Iceland, any expletives that might have come out would have been literally dropping with him and probably would have been heard loud and clear. The troubling accident occurred in 2008 during the filming of "The 'F' Word," Ramsay's show about hopeful chefs cooking for a group of 50 diners who serve as the final critics as to the quality of the meal (via Mirror).
For this particular episode, Ramsay was in Iceland exploring the use of puffin for food and set out on a puffin-catching adventure with a professional guide along a steep, rocky cliff overlooking chilly waters. Catching puffins involves waving a large net around in the air until a bird becomes entangled, something that appears quite hard to do, never mind when perched on the edge of a cliff (via YouTube). Ramsay stumbled and fell into the icy waters below.
Gordon Ramsay fell off a 280-foot cliff and almost drowned
Upon hitting the water, Gordon Ramsay was immediately weighed down by his outdoor winter clothing (via Mirror). After being underwater for about 45 seconds, Ramsay was able to remove his boots and swim to the surface, where his filming team was able to reel him in by rope. "I thought I was a goner," Ramsay said. "They say cats have nine lives. I've had 12 already and I don't know how many more I'll have ... It wasn't until I was on the plane home I realized what a close call I'd had."
It was indeed a close call, and, upon returning home, Ramsay was quite nervous to tell his wife, Tana, about the incident. "I chickened out but she knew something was up," he said, adding that Tana was extremely upset. He noted that while struggling underwater, his thoughts immediately gravitated to his then-four children and the horror he felt about potentially leaving them. Luckily for Ramsay, his family, and his fans, the chef is safe and sound.