In pictures: Underwater deminers of Cambodia

For more than two years, photographer Charles Fox has been documenting deminers in Cambodia. In the early 1970s, the Khmer Rouge sunk large stockpiles of explosive ordnance in the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.

Unlike some of the team, the first of its kind in Cambodia, Piseth Dara, 24, could already swim when he applied, though he had no diving experience. He does not mind the dark water conditions - he would find it far more stressful being able to see than searching slowly in darkness.

Fox learnt to dive so he could work alongside the deminers. Military radio operator Sok Narun, 45, joined a land-based demining team before transferring to the diving team.

The divers work in what Fox called "black water conditions." Phorn Pheakday, 36, said: “On the land, I cannot see the threat. And underwater, I cannot see the threat. Either way, it’s dangerous - but it’s my job.”

Morm Vuth had no previous experience detonating unexploded ordnance (UXO) but is now qualified as a Level 1 EOD (explosive ordinance disposal).

Tri Khun, 45, is one of the senior members of the team. Joining the dive team gave Khun the opportunity to move from "deminer on land to deminer underwater". When the team removed the large UXO from the river in May Khun said: “I felt so happy because I am was a part of the first team to remove the UXO”.

Mike Nisi spent nine years in the US military, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is now the UXO salvage dive team's senior instructor. He said: “I wanted to be part of something new – to be involved in a project at the start of its operational stage.”

Prak Hean started demining in 1992, after responding to one of the first recruitment drives by the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). He has lost count of the number of mines he has cleared but said it must be thousands.

Lorn Sarath found it hard to get used to working in dark water - but he feels the work is really important as it will eliminate a threat and keep Cambodia and its people safe, specifically the fishermen, who are usually the ones injured.

Rob Rice considers Austin, Texas, his home. He joined the US military, where he completed five years of active service before spending the next 15 working as a civilian UXO technician. Having completed his contract in Cambodia, he has returned to the US. He now works in California but makes regular return visits to Cambodia.

Sok Chenda was a technical instructor teaching deminers and the military how to identify UXO. He now wants to teach those skills to the dive team. Dark Water: Cambodia's UXO Salvage Divers by Charles Fox can be seen at the Brunei Gallery, in London.