Why Do Reporters Insist on Acting in a Highly Unsafe Manner?

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This is a really good story about a couple who, tragically, went around a "road closed" barrier with horrible results. But, I have a huge objection to what occurs in the video at the 1:47 mark.
Why does reporter Gary Tuchman wade out into flowing water?! Just like the road collapse, there may be an unseen deep hole scoured out by the water. One step into a deep hole and the photographer might have taped the next death in the storm.

We tell people -- almost ad nauseam -- "turn around, don't drown." We tell them to "never cross flowing water by foot or by car." Behavior like Mr. Tuchman's makes our public safety job that much more difficult.

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