Lexar Rescues Capsized Images at Sea

Lexar Rescues Capsized Images at Sea

Lexar Professional 2933x XQD memory cards provide unsinkable reliability and save once-in-a-lifetime images of acclaimed photographer Mark Watson

AUCKLAND, 14 December 2016 – When acclaimed photographer Mark Watson received a phone call explaining skydiver and wingsuit pilot Rex Pemberton wanted to jump out of a helicopter, open a parachute, strap a surfboard to his feet while descending, line up a big wave and then drop onto it before releasing his chute to surf the wave, he just knew he had to be part of it. Little did he know it would result in a terrifying capsize and his Lexar memory cards saving the day, along with his once-in-a-lifetime images.

Watson was commissioned to cover the still photography angle for Outside Magazine and Jeep USA, something that would involve lifestyle and documentary imagery on land, as well as action imagery from a helicopter, an 18ft rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RIB), or swimming in the ocean with a water housing.

Watson explained, “It was quickly evident that due to the large area and inability to know precisely Rex’s landing location, water photography was out of the question, so photography from the boat with a spray-cover would be the best opportunity to catch the key air-to-water transition and keep camera gear safe whilst securing imagery. As we were shooting from an exposed boat in the ocean with a lot of variables and spray, I chose to photograph on the most weather sealed of all Nikon cameras, the D5. The D5 is a professional DSLR that offers a high frame rate and advanced auto focus as well as 4K video, so simply the best tool for the job. I also had a Nikon D4s in a water housing in case there were opportunities to shoot from the water. With my high-end DSLRs I choose to use two high-capacity Lexar® Professional 2933x XQD 2.0 memory cards because they offer incredibly fast transfer rates in a very secure, weather-resistant and stable format.”

At the end of the first day’s shooting, the largest set of waves surged through. Watson described what happened next, “We were in reasonably deep water but unfortunately, as we descended into the trough between waves, the horizon quickly disappeared, as a monster rogue wave, already feathering behind the first wave, revealed itself. Our captain tried to punch over the top but it was too little too late, and the bow launched into the air off the already-breaking wave before flipping backwards end on end mid-air. One minute I was 15ft in the air as the boat slowly rotated backwards, the next I was jumping clear of 1.5 tonnes of metal and rubber as it careered back toward the surface.”

The next fifteen minutes were a blur of waves crashing over the upturned boat and crew as they swam under set wave after set wave to regroup.

Watson continued, “All the while, I subconsciously continued to grasp my camera, and as I swam deep to dive under another huge wave I could see it in my hand as I arced back to the surface. I’d seen this happen before, but the camera is always in a waterproof housing, and this time it was not. I recall seeing my Lowepro hard case and pelican case bobbing around in the ocean, hundreds of metres away, and wondering whether they were really watertight and even if I’d see them again. Unfortunately, the Nikon D5 with Lexar XQD cards was still my hand and had now been submersed in salt water for fifteen minutes. It was all over for the camera.”

Shortly afterwards, having taken another fifteen minutes to get back on dry land, Watson finally took out the memory cards that contained nearly all of the day’s images on the D5 that now had salt water dripping from the lens mount and LCD screen.

Watson continued, “I finally had time to realise the enormity of what had just happened and jumped to action as I became aware I would most likely lose all the images I had been commissioned to secure. I removed both Lexar XQD memory cards from the now sodden and dripping inactive D5 DSLR, noting the battery already appeared to be leaking or corroding. Fortunately, the cards appeared intact, so I immediately wiped them dry and grabbed a lens blower to dry the contacts and evaporate any excess salt water. Back at my computer, I gently wiped the cards with cotton buds and isopropyl alcohol before inserting them into the card reader. The truth is, I expected a memory card error to appear as soon as I plugged in the card reader.”

What happened next not only surprised but delighted this most seasoned photographer. As Watson explained, “I realistically held little hope of recovering any data and could only cross my fingers. Imagine my surprise when all my images miraculously appeared on my screen, hours after the XQD cards had fallen from a capsized vessel in powerful surf and been submersed in the cold Southern Ocean for fifteen minutes. I wasted no time in transferring them to my computer and backing them up. Upon rescuing the cards, I quietly rejoiced as I realised how the benefits of purchasing high-end Lexar XQD cards would be so dramatically revealed to me. I’ve had many close calls in my time, but none quite as close as this. To be able to retrieve all the data and images and fulfil my clients brief offers me enormous comfort in the knowledge that investing in high-quality Lexar memory cards was worth it in that one rare and unrepeatable moment.”

For more information about Lexar products, visit www.lexar.com.

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