Living on life's edge just part of everyday risks

Lance Graham has been a naval man since 1989, joining the diving squad in 1993. Photo/Stephen Parker

Diving the ocean's depths, disposing of war zone bombs all in day's work for former Koutu kid:

AS an infant Lance Graham wasn't a water baby.

When his mum, Runa, took him to the Blue Baths for swimming lessons he screamed
his head off, water terrified him.

Today he's the navy's chief dive training officer.

He's been a naval man since 1989, joining the diving squad in 1993.

Despite the navy's "use by" date generally set at 20 years' service, Lance doesn't plan on quitting any time soon, his current contract runs into 2022.

Presently ranked Warrant Officer, his ultimate ambition's to be Warrant Officer to the navy's head sherang, a Rear Admiral.

"By then it will be time to hang up the fins and enter the realms of senior leadership."

It's a long way for a kid from Koutu to have sailed . . . the more so because of his early water phobia.

His mother credits the Blue Baths' ever-patient instructor, the late Doreen Goodson, for giving Lance the confidence to overcome it.

Not only is this man super confident under water he's fearless on the ground, diffusing bombs in some of the world's most volatile war zones. Away from the water he's spent time with the UN's Special Commission in Baghdad, in the nuclear, biological, chemical and ballistic missiles teams searching for weapons of mass destruction.

At one point, things became too hot for even these hardened experts to handle.

"When the US sent Tomahawk missiles in, we were evacuated for seven days because our safety couldn't be guaranteed."

Lance and his team were taken to the questionable safety of Bahrain.

"We watched everything unfold on CNN, including our evacuation, if I'd known I was to be
on TV I'd have had my hair done."

Such levity's an essential release valve from the pressure of living on life's edge.

During a tour of duty in Lebanon following the 34-day war, he led a three-man bomb disposal term, chalking up a personal tally of defusing more than 600 unexploded bombs, the majority cluster bombs.

Wow, scary stuff, we say.

Professional to the core, he won't have a bar of it.

"Scary's a negative thought that relentless training pushes out in a nano-second."

Before we become too deeply entrenched in his defence force career we take him back to before it began. A John Paul College foundation pupil, he left school without any particular planned career path, joining Turners and Growers as a store man, however older brother Rodney was already in naval uniform.

"I saw the opportunities and experiences he was having and realised what challenges the navy offered personally and professionally."

Lance's first four years were spent as a radio operator on HMNZS Canterbury "visiting 19 countries, 52 ports, going through the Suez Canal twice, the Panama Canal once, circling the globe".

The Canterbury was docked in Portsmouth for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic celebrations.

"I got to do the wero [challenge] for Princess Anne, it was cool. At the Battle of Crete remembrance ceremony I did the haka where the Maori Battalion had done it in front of the advancing Germans, a British tank driver who'd been there was in tears."

His diving days began at the Devonport Naval Base. "It was an extremely difficult six months' course, out of eight who joined by the second day only two remained, they dropped out through fatigue and exhaustion."

Does this mean Lance Graham's something of a super-human?

"No way, I was committed to passing, I never allowed myself to lose sight of my goal."

The course conquered, he joined the navy's diving squad, its duties more hair-raising stuff . . . "clearing mines from harbours and ports, defusing explosives, bombs."

Eight months in Florida in 2006 added a fillip to his CV. How many Kiwis can say they've been at the coalface of clearing up space shuttle debris? In line with New Zealand's nuclear-free stance he was well distanced from that side of things.
Florida wasn't all work and no play, Lance joined a band.

"I was a bit of a novelty, the Maori boy with the guitar. My father, who died when I was 5, was a great guitar player, I guess I'm trying to follow in his footsteps but I've only had seven guitar lessons in my life."

In Florida he bought a mandolin, a banjo's next on his wish list.

Back on the work front Lance and his team work closely with the army "defending our ports", customs "primarily underwater drugs searches" and the police.

"We were here [Rotorua] in 2011 searching Lake Okareka for the body of the boy [Bishop Thompson] knocked off a jet ski."

The squad was in Tonga following the 2009 sinking of the Princess Ashika that claimed 74 lives, evidence gathering against the owners. In 2013 the unit was at the forefront of the search for the privately-owned plane that plunged into the water off Kawhia.

"Because of the depth we had to bring down our recompression chamber."

To our suggestion "the bends" must be an occupational hazard for naval divers Lance leaps into defence mode.

"It comes down to training, New Zealand clearance divers are up there with the best of the best. When Prince William inspected a guard of honour in Wellington last year he said to one of our guys 'I hear your course is one of the toughest in the world'. I was tickled pink, he's right."