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While cameras were rolling, an opportunistic thief casually walked past and stole one of the crew’s lights – without anyone noticing.
Nelson later explained how the shocking theft unfolded, highlighting just how “brazen” some crimes have become.
“To give you an idea of just how brazen some of the crime is, this morning after our last live cross, someone came and took the light off our light stand,” he said live on Sunrise.
“We have about three lights here and they’ve just pulled it blatantly off and walked away with it. So, any need for security and calls for police were certainly made clear for us this morning.”
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It wasn’t until after the segment wrapped that the team realized something was missing.
Speaking to 7News, Nelson described the confusion when they finally noticed the missing equipment.
“After the cross, [the cameraman] has gone to check on the light – the stand was still there, but the light itself had vanished, and we were both scratching our heads about how a light can go missing.”
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Nelson admitted that, in the moment, he was too focused on delivering the report to notice the crime happening just feet away.
“When you’re about to go live, you’ve got an earpiece in with your director talking to you, and the sound of the presenters, you’ve got lights blaring at you,” he explained.
“Your focus is entirely on the story and making sure you get your facts right. You are aware of your surroundings and know anything can happen while you are on air, but for something like this to happen, and for someone to see that and be opportunistic and take our equipment – they might not know what it’s used for or how much it’s worth.”
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In a bizarre twist, the thief’s haul might not even be of much use.
“It would be impossible for them to use,” Nelson revealed. “The light itself needs a battery which is a broadcast-quality battery that you can only get in the industry, and you need a charger for it.
“Clearly there hasn’t been much thought behind this opportunistic and senseless crime,” he added.
South Australian police have since released a photo of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation.
