Tributes for noted adventure guide
A second incident at Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tablelands in as many months has claimed the life of highly-regarded adventure guide and marine biologist Mark “Harry” Christensen.
It’s understood the Mission Beach based former expedition leader with Coral Expeditions, Orion Expedition Cruises and Ponant was at the lake camping with mates when he went for a swim and never returned.
The death follows the drowning of Jeffrey Snelling, who died after attempting to rescue his two sons at Lake Tinaroo on February 12.
Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues working in the expedition cruising industry, who mourned the loss of a quirky, likeable, kind and funny man.
Wallacea Expeditions owner and photographer Mick Fogg said he met Mr Christensen while working on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s and had since worked side-by-side at three different cruise companies.
“He was a legend in the industry and he was happy to share that knowledge with the next generation coming through. He was a remarkable man and just so happy and funny, he was the real deal, he was one of a kind,” he said.
Austronesian Expeditions adventure travel operations consultant Justin Friend described his mate and colleague as an “absolute legend”.
“Everyone that works in the industry was mentored by him,” he said.
Police stated the death of Mr Christensen at Tinaroo Dam, Danbulla on Saturday was considered non-suspicious.
The 61-year-old is survived by his wife Helen. The pair met while Mr Christensen was on an expedition in Pontianak, Borneo, in 2011 but got married recently in 2019.