The Deep-Sea Diver's Lifeline

In 2012, saturation diver Chris Lemons was working 300 feet beneath the North Sea when his umbilical — the cable supplying his air, heat, and light — was severed by a malfunctioning vessel above. For thirty-eight minutes, he lay in total darkness on the ocean floor with only a five-minute emergency tank. His survival depended entirely on something he could not see: his crew working frantically on the surface to reconnect his line.…