An Australian TV cameraman who rescued an 18-month-old girl from the rubble in Haiti apologized to his news director back home for not filming the dramatic moment -- and instead letting a rival network's correspondent appear in the footage that was shown around the world, according to Australia's Herald Sun.
Richard Moran, who works for Australia's Channel Nine, put down his camera and lifted pieces of concrete out of the way so that his interpreter, Deiby Celestino, could climb down and pull the young girl, Winnie Tilin, from the rubble on Friday.
After the girl was freed she was handed to Mike Amor, a reporter for the network Channel Seven, who was then filmed by his crew pouring water over the girl and giving her something to drink.
As The Adelaide Now explains:
Images from the dramatic rescue were broadcast on both networks on Saturday night - with both channels saying they helped bring the little girl out.
However, the footage showed only Channel Seven's Amor, standing above the hole in the ground.
Footage of the rescue on Channel Seven's site bills it as "Mike Amor's amazing rescue." However, Amor did acknowledge to the Australian that it was the Channel Nine crew that were the heroes.
"That moment, it was beyond news," Amor said.
And Channel Nine's director said in a statement to the AFP that he was happy with the way his team responded:
"I'm proud of the Nine News team, who put the welfare of the little girl before their own safety, and placed their personal convictions before professional pressures.Yes, they put down their camera to help. But they also filed their story. And most importantly, they helped save a life."
WATCH the rescue footage:
A report on the rescue from MSNBC: