It has been over 30 years since the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 2 million people. Cambodia and its people still suffer from the legacy of that dark time in a variety of ways, including the deadly and hidden threat of abandoned land mines, which still kill or injure more than 100 people every year.
Since the early 1990s, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has been training de-miners and has been responsible for clear- ing vast areas of Cambodia from the threat of land mines. The huge task has now taken a new direction for CMAC. The group, working in con- junction with the Golden West Hu- manitarian Foundation, has selected a 9-person strong group of de-miners from 40 hopeful volunteers to become Cambodia’s first elitesalvage diving unit.
During the early 1970’s ships carrying large stockpiles of explosive ordinance to supply the Khmer Republic were sunk in the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers by the Khmer Rouge and have laid there ever since.
Large ordinance dropped by the American Military during the Vietnam War on Cambodia have ended up in rivers and lakes and skirmishes between the Khmer Rouge and Lon Nol’s soldiers, and later with Vietnamese soldiers, have left unexploded fragments of war, hand grenades, mortar rounds and bullets in the waterways.
Fishermen regularly catch their nets on the boats and large ordinance, most will dive down (on a compression pump attached to a plastic tube) to cut the nets free at great personal risk. The threat of pulling up small explosives is very real. Dredgers that work the rivers collecting sand to be sold for construction regularly pull small scale ordinance from the rivers and rather than reporting them for the fear of holding up the work will just throw them back into the river or sell them for scrap.
The selected 9 divers are being trained not only to dive and recover, but are also learning how to do so completely blind in depths of up to 30 meters and against the strong currents of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. These are hostile
conditions, requiring both physical and mental strength and dexterity.
UXO salvage diver Leng Channak (33) takes part in the training programme devised by the USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The divers train to identify UXO (inert for training purposes) wearing ‘black-out’ masks to simulate the zero visibility they will encounter in the rivers and lakes of Cambodia.
UXO Salvage Diver Phorn Peakdey (35) sprints along the beach as part of a training exercise at Sihanoukville,Cambodia.
Heang Sambo (38) collapses during an intense training session on the beach at Sihanoukville, Cambodia. At the beginning of the training many of the now divers could not swim. Now divers swim regularly and conduct physical training daily. Sambo is not a full time member of the team but trained to dive with the team. Sambo works as a detection specialist and has worked all over the world identifying UXO.
Members of the UXO salvage dive team share breakfast together ahead of a training exercise. The divers live together in barracks and eat and cook together, every aspect of their daily life is aimed at creating a tight and cohesive team.
UXO salvage diver Lorn Sarath (25) sits underneath a mosquito net in the early hours of the morning at the divers barracks in Kampong Chhanag Province, Cambodia. The divers study English daily improving their ability to work regionally and train globally.
Portrait of UXO salvage diver Lorn Sarath (25). Sarath wears black out goggles around his neck, the goggles are used to simulate “Black Water” diving conditions.
The UXO salvage diver team during training on the island of Koh Rong off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, line up ahead of a sea swim. All the divers were previously de-miners with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre and were selected by the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation from a group of over forty applicants.
Golden West Humanitarian Foundation employee blocks his ears and watches as recovered UXO is disposed of, Golden West developed a UXO harvesting programme where they recycle UXO into shaped charges which are then used to destroy other pieces of UXO in the field.
Detonation of UXO at the "Elephant Range" in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia.
THE American Ambassador to Cambodia, William E. Todd photographed at the "Elephant Range" Kampong Chhnang, Province, Cambodia on 4th April 2014 to mark Mine Awareness day. The salvage diver program is supported by the U.S Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.
A Cambodian fisherman holds the internal explosive material found in anti-tank mines. The fisherman recovered the material after his fishing net became entangled necessitating him to dive down and disentangle it. The fisherman said he uses the material to help him light fires - at great personal risk.
A fisherman and his wife pull out an unexploded mortar round from the river Mekong near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Fishermen often dive into the rivers using compressed air created by a diesel generator to un-snag their nets when they get caught on the bottom of the river.
Kong (21) sits next to his mother Chiv Sokly (49) at their home in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia. Kong holds the photograph of his father, Lim Tong, who was mortally wounded in 2000 at the age of 33 by UXO exploding when he threw a piece of metal that he and two other fishermen ‘caught’ in their nets back into the river hitting the mortar round hidden under the surface. One of the other fishermen was killed instantly, the other sustained shrapnel injuries and died in 2014.
Lim Sokphiam (54) holds a photograph of her husband, Chea Kea, who died in May 2014 at the age of 56. Kea sustained shrapnel injuries in 2000 when an underwater mortar round exploded killing two other people. Lim says, “we knew there was a military base near the market (next to the river) but we never knew about explosives in the water”.
Phong Sopheak (33) holds a photograph of her husband Kun Sokhea who was 24 years old when a piece of UXO in the river exploded and killed him instantly.
Te Denar (10) at home, He sustained his injuries when the fuse of a mortar round ignited whilst he was holding it. Denar found the fuse in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia, whilst out playing with his cousins building a dam.
Te Denar (10) at home holds a photograph of himself, He sustained his injuries when the fuse of a mortar round ignited whilst he was holding it. Denar found the fuse in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia, whilst out playing with his cousins building a dam. His brother took the photograph to show to NGO’s in the hope that one of them could help in anyway but did not know how to go about asking.
Chey Sophea (22) was injured in 2006-07 when a booster for a motor round he found in a pond exploded. He suffered shrapnel wounds to his body and a severed testicle.
An employee on a sand dredger sleeps whilst his colleague flushes sand towards a huge pump which transports the sand from the dredger to fill in a nearby lake to create a piece of land for real estate development in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The dredgers regularly suck up small pieces of UXO from the Mekong riverbed. Whilst some of the shell casings are kept for their scrap value anything thought to be dangerous is thrown back into the river.
Employee working on a sand dredger, flushes sand towards a huge pump which transports the sand from the dredger to fill in a nearby lake to create a piece of land for real estate development in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The dredgers regularly suck up small pieces of UXO from the Mekong riverbed. Whilst some of the shell casings are kept for their scrap value anything thought to be dangerous is thrown back into the river.
Booster rocket and bullets found by employees of sand dredgers on the Tonle Sap river next to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
two workers sit on the end of a pipe which pumps sand into a lake to reclaim the land for development. The workers have seen small pieces of UXO and fragments of UXO come through the pipe.
Marcel Durocher and Heang Sambo employees of Golden West Humanitarian Organisation board a boat ahead of a river survey on the Tonle Sap river. Using Sonar Marcel and Sambo are able to map the riverbed identifying sunken boats and potential UXO. The Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers move vast amounts of sediment, making the process of scanning the river beds difficult, what is identified one year can be covered by sediment the next and new sites can be revealed.
Marcel Durocher and Heang Sambo employees of Golden West Humanitarian Organisation prepare to submerge a sonar device into the Tonle Sap river. Using Sonar Marcel and Sambo are able to map the riverbed identifying sunken boats and potential UXO. The Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers move vast amounts of sediment, making the process of scanning the river beds difficult, what is identified one year can be covered by sediment the next and new sites can be revealed.
Marcel Durocher and Heang Sambo employees of Golden West Humanitarian Organisation spend up to six hours a day on a boat when on a river survey. Using Sonar Marcel and Sambo are able to map the riverbed identifying sunken boats and potential UXO. The Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers move vast amounts of sediment, making the process of scanning the river beds difficult, what is identified one year can be covered by sediment the next and new sites can be revealed.
Sonar scans of sunken boats in the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Boats carrying UXO where sunk by the Khmer Rouge and the American Military.
Members of the UXO salvage dive team prepare dive equipment on the banks of the Tonle Sap river overlooked by local villagers.
The divers are supported by former American military divers, Mike Nisi ( centre) joined the team early 2015, a former military diver, Mike also worked with military dolphins prior to joining the team as a trainer.
Close up of diver Piseth Dara (24) in his full faced dive mask.
UXO salvage diver Leng Channak (33) swims towards a bouy which marks the location of a french barge thought to contain UXO. The barges where sunk by the Khmer Rouge and American Military.
UXO salvage dive team leader Sok Chenda (38) holds onto the side of a boat after completing a dive in the Tonle Sap River, Cambodia.
Members of the UXO salvage dive team take part in a mission brief in their dive shop in Kampong Chhanang, Cambodia.
A plume of water shoots into the sky after liquid explosives are detonated underwater. The explosives where tested to see if they would be a viable solution to detonate UXO underwater. The test took place at the divers training centre in Kampong Chhang Province, Cambodia.
UXO salvage dive team member Brak Hean (42) takes a leap from the 5 meter dive board at the Olympic swimming pool, Phnom Penh Cambodia. The divers must complete this jump as a team bonding exercise, unless the diver jumps the other team members must complete press ups until he jumps.
UXO salvage diver Piseth Dara (24) emerges from underwater in the Olympic swimming pool
in Phnom Penh,Cambodia. Prior to the diver training the majority fo the team had basic swimming skills, now they are all strong swimmers due to the intense nature of the training required to be a salvage diver.
Menbers of the UXO salvage dive team watch Rob Rice former Navy diver and team trainer jump into the Olympic swimming pool, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
(L) Brak Hean (42) and (R) Sok Narun (43) tread water in the Olympic swimming pool in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The divers are often put through exercises to push them to near exhaustion.
Dos Phalla (41) tries on a mask and fins at the dive shop in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Phalla was one of the original members of the team but left to pursue a job as a Video journalist for a Cambodian News Network.
UXO salvage diver Piseth Dara (24) takes part in the training programme devised by the USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. He sits at the front of one of two inflatable ribs which will be used by the salvage divers. His role on this mission was to be the ‘recovery diver’ and would be the first to dive to the aid of his colleagues if they got into difficulty underwater.
Members of USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment take part in atraining exercise with the Cambodian UXO salvage dive team off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
UXO salvage diver Piseth Dara (24) prepares to dive. Dara is taking part in a training programme devised by the USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
UXO salvage divers and members of the USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment takes part in the training programme off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. In this exercise the team was learning how to recover large inert ordinance using airbags to raise the item from the sea bed.
UXO salvage diver Brak Hean (42) is helped from the water by a member of the USA 7th Engineer Dive Detachment in a training programme off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Members of the UXO salvage dive team practice removing a stricken diver from the water in a training exercise off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
An inert piece of ordinance is attached to an inflatable lift bag. This technique will be used to move and remove large pieces of ordinance which cannot be safely detonated in situ.
An inert piece of ordinance is attached to an inflatable lift bag. This technique will be used to move and remove large pieces of ordinance which cannot be safely detonated in situ.
Young Khmer man looks across to the site of the Neak Loeung Bridge which crosses the Mekong river. The bridge which was opened in April 2015 will decrease travel time on the busy road between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. During the construction of the bridge a stack of UXO and fragments where found at 0.2 and 7 meter depth of water.
Divers Piseth Dara (L) and Lorn Sarath (R) on a mission in Kandal Province. Fishermen reported a large piece of UXO in the Mekong river and the team went to investigate.
Mike Nisi and Sok Chenda manoeuvre a boat as they drag an inflatable lift bag which is attached to a MK82 Bomb. The divers attached the bag to the bomb and raised it to the surface and dragged it to shore. The Bomb was dropped on Cambodia between 1965 - 1973.
Journalists report on the MK82 Bomb which the diver team raised from the bottom of the Mekong River.
Diver / Team leader Sok Chenda speaks with journalists with the MK82 bomb the team raised in the background.
The UXO salvage dive team handle an unexploded 1000 pound bomb found in a river in Kratie Province, Cambodia.
The bomb found in the river in Kratie Province was cut into sections on site by a team from Golden West. Golden West developed a UXO harvesting programme were they recycle UXO into shaped charges which are then used to destroy other pieces of UXO in the field.
Tail section of the bomb removed from the river in Kratie Province, Cambodia.
Divers Lorn Sarath Sok Chenda and Brak Hean wait for a boat at the seaside town of Kep to take them to the island of Koh Seh to follow up on a report of UXO found on the island.
Diver Brak Hean snorkels around the island of Koh Seh to follow up on a report of UXO found on the island.
Team leader Sok Chenda investigates a Khmer Rouge era bunker on the island of Koh Seh, the team are following up on a report of UXO found on the island.
Divers Lorn Sarath Sok Chenda and Brak Hean listen to a mission briefing by their American trainer Rob Rice on the Island of Koh Seh. The team are on the island to follow up on a report of UXO found on the island.
Volunteers at Marine Conservation Cambodia hold a piece of UXO which was found on the island of Koh Seh. Cambodia’s UXO Salvage divers where called to the island to follow up on a report of UXO.
Team leader Sok Chenda carries dive tanks down the banks of the Tonle Sap River. the team are responding to reports of UXO in the river just outside of the capital Phnom Penh.
Members of the diver team prepare rope ahead of a dive on the Tonle Sap River, the team are responding to reports of UXO in the river just outside of the capital Phnom Penh.
The diver team carry their inflatable boat up the banks of the Tonle Sap river.
Cut sections of a bomb used in the UXO harvesting program. Golden West developed a UXO harvesting programme were they recycle UXO into shaped charges which are then used to destroy other pieces of UXO in the field.
Recycled combustable material is poured into moles. Golden West developed a UXO harvesting programme were they recycle UXO into shaped charges which are then used to destroy other pieces of UXO in the field.
a hole is drilled into the top of shaped charge made from recycled combustable material.Golden West developed a UXO harvesting program were they recycle UXO into shaped charges which are then used to destroy other pieces of UXO in the field.