Macha Meril (as Lizzy) and Mario Girotti aka Terence Hill (as Richard Forsythe) during a break at Cetina River near Split

The filming of the day's scenes was uncomfortable - and dangerous. Winnetou (Pierre Brice), Richard Forsythe (Mario Girotti/Terence Hill) and Lizzy (Macha Meril) were trying to save children from a raft on a rapid river. The river's name is Cetina and it is rapid - and dangerous. Director Philipp: "We could have begun with the filming later to make sure that we'd have sunshine, but we needed the rain. On the other hand we would have liked to have some sun to be able to get our work done faster, but of course, we couldn't have it all."

The actors had to wear protective rubber suits beneath their costumes to shield them from the river's cold water, which had eight degrees celsius (46º Fahrenheit) that day. All actors had scenes in the river (around three hours in the water per day), but couldn't wear their protective suits at all times because they would have shown in close-up shots. Reason enough for actor Pierre Brice to refuse to wear the rubber suit at all - so he was the one freezing the most. "This is how frozen meat must feel" he joked.

	Terence and the other actors had to wear protective suits to shield them from coldness and the water, which had eight degrees celsius (46º Fahrenheit)

Joking soon stopped when one of the stuntmen disappeared into the current. He reappeared 100 meters down the river and, gasping for air, could hold onto a steel cable which was assembled for a provisional ferry. The crew pulled him out of the river with a rope. Little time later, the same happened to chief-stuntman Allan Pinson, experienced stuntman of Hollywood movies. "The river is vicious", said Pinson, being back on safe ground. The takes of the drifting raft show how dangerous the river really is.

The heavy wooden raft had to be disassembled and carried back to the starting point. This usually takes four hours. The takes of the drifting raft show how dangerous the river is.

Three cameras captured the raft while it headed down Cetina river. The sun - that the crew had waited for two hours - disappeared behind a dark cloud just minutes before finishing the scene. The heavy wooden raft had to be disassembled and carried to the starting position for a retake.

Actors Stewart Granger (Old Surehand), Harald Leipnitz (Ölprinz), Gerhard Frickhöffer and comedian Heinz Erhardt thanked their luck for not having to work that day...

  Video clip of the scene