Pictured here is Nat Geo photographer Stephen Alvarez taking his photo in 2006 of the newly discovered Myo lake in Phantom Pot, Papua New Guinea. Stephen had asked me that day if I’d like to help him and of course I jumped at the chance. Stephen set up to take a photo on a small island. My job was simply to help him out when he needed it. Once he’d finished I got to work dutifully assisting, as I knew I should. The tripod seemed an obvious thing to pack away so I headed for that. Things went wrong though when I spun the tripod head a bit too much. It flew straight out of my hands into the depths of Myo lake. There was only one thing for it. I couldn’t lose the tripod head of the Nat Geo photographer. I took off my buoyancy aid and dived in head first. In the clear water against a white limestone background, the shiney black tripod head was easy to spot, though several metres down and situated in a canyon. I wasn’t going to be defeated. I swam as hard as I could, worried that the ropes on my harness might get snagged on a sharp rock. It was relief when I grasped it in my hand and rose to the surface. My arm rose out of the water in a pose like the Statue of Liberty. I said to Stephen, ‘you might need this’. He looked shocked. I think he hadn’t realised what was going on until it was all over. Thanks Stephen for a great memory and a great story and of course for providing the lighting setup for this photograph.
