When broadcasting live on crime in Adelaide, Australian reporter Hayden Nelson had his gear stolen. 7+ reporter Nelson was presenting a breakfast show Sunriseon7 segment outside Rundle Mall when a thief accosted the crew. Having greeted them warmly, the thief stole one of their lights and left.
Nelson recounted the experience on the air: “To get an idea of just how brazen some of the crime is, this morning after our last live, somebody came and stole the light off our light stand. We have three lights here and they’ve just pulled it right off and walked away with it. So, any need for security and calls for police were certainly made clear for us this morning.”
After the cross, the crew noticed the light was absent: “After the cross, he’s off to make sure the light – the stand was still there but the actual light has disappeared and we were both wondering how a light manages to disappear,” one of the crew members said.
The staff did not realize the theft at first, since the reporter was busy coordinating with the producer and presenters while the lights were shone on him. The journalist described how they are trained to remain alert to report the news but were surprised by the theft: “While reporting, we pay attention to reporting the news accurately and remain vigilant, but we were surprised that someone exploited the situation to steal our equipment, and that too without realizing its purpose or worth.”
