So I've been kinda obsessed with this abandoned building in Shekou and have shot it over the last few years.
So when Mark showed up one day with a DJI Phantom drone I switched from stills to video.
Thirty seconds later I put it into the side of the building, right near the dome. I tried everything to retrieve it.
I ran around the high security wall hoping it had fallen outside.
I went to the top of a taller building to see if I could regain a signal via line of site.
I even staked out the entrance from a nearby street food vendor to see if anyone came or left. Nada.
So that's when Alex and I hatched a plan to go in and get it back.
Getting over the wall was relatively easy.
Then came the endless chain of stairs. We bypassed the first few floors quickly as it was clear people were living on the lower levels.
As we got closer to the top, the dark hallways gave way to large areas of collapsed roofing. There were also pockets of graffiti and rusting equipment scattered around.
And then as Alex turned another corner I saw his face light up.
Drone! Neither of us had really expected to find it. We quickly assessed the damage (trashed gimbal, motor and casing) and pocketed the footage in case someone wanted it on the way down. Then we had a chance to hit the top and go inside the dome.
Oh and on the way back down we discovered that the bottom two floors were completely submerged.
Pool Party!
Originally published on StoreHouse before the whole platform took a poo.