Deep Water Salvage
Season 1 Mondays History (*186) 19:25 Repeats Tuesdays 06:45 & 11:45 Reality
The oceans and lakes are a scary and dangerous place. But it’s also a chest of treasure for the crew on Deep Water Salvage, who foam at the mouth with glee when they’re sent out to work in bad weather. “It doesn’t matter what we’re doing – whether it’s trying to rescue a boat that’s about to sink or salvaging containers out of the water – we live for danger,” says Phil Risko, one of the salvage experts on the show.
The team aren’t just sailing out onto the waters without thinking – their ships are equipped with the latest in GPS (global positioning satellite) technology, winches and cranes that can lift hundreds of tons off the oceanbed, as well as high-def body cameras and handheld cameras for first-person filming that traditional camera crews can’t tape. “It’s dangerous on the waters so we’re working as the camera teams too and it’s fun,” admits Phil, “because it’s a new job for us. So we’re doing our already-dangerous stuff, then adding this onto the list of things to do.”
The weather is one of the show’s best characters because the team isn’t able to predict weather and how it’s going to be, says Phil. “We’re not just tying a rope or chain around something and yanking it to safety. It’s a drawn-out process that can take hours. There’s a lot of maths required because you’re on a vessel and you’re pulling an object against currents and against the pressure of the water. It’s volatile and the risk of death is only outweighed by the risk of a payday!”
Season 1 was such a hit that the second season is already being filmed and “we’ve got some exciting new salvages coming up,” says Phil, adding that “we are going to make the cyclones in season 1 look tame!”