Death of a very famous Free Diver.

[JamesK]

http://www.cdnn.info/industry/i021012a/i021012a.html

 

[JamesK]

Another link.

http://espn.go.com/moresports/news/2002/1012/1445057.html

This one says they think something may have hit the sled on the way up. She did reach 561ft.

 

[AquaTec]

This is terrible news. but it is the world she lived in. She was attempting to increase her best effort by 100 feet, this was foolish, and just an attempt to re-establish the record in her families name. most freedivers increase their depths by about 30 feet at a time, I wonder who was doing dive support for her, and where were they.

I wonder what went wrong.

Just to correct the arrticles written, Pippen does not hold any current world records for free diving. below is the current standings with the exception that Tanya Streeter now holds the No limits mens and womens i can't remember the depth but she did it in the Grand Caymans.

Mandy is currently in La Paza Mexico attempting to break Tanya's Constant Weight record.

Also the free immersion mens record has just been broken right here in BC it is now 100 meters


Constant Weight Women
- 70 m, Tanya Streeter (USA), 11.05.2001, Guadeloupe, France (AIDA)

Constant Weight, Men
- 86 m, Herbert Nitsch (Austria), 11.10.2001, "3rd AIDA World Freediving Championship - Club Med Ibiza 2001", Spain (AIDA)

Variable Weight, Women
- 95 m, Deborah Andollo (Cuba), 12.07.2000, Parghalia, Italy (AIDA)

Variable Weight Men
- 117 m, Benjamin Franz (Germany), 01.09.2001, Safaga, Egypt (AIDA)

"No Limits" Women
- 136 m, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank (Canada), 23.09.2001, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (AIDA)

"No Limits" Men
- 154 m, Loic Leferme (France), 18.08.2001, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France (AIDA)

Free Immersion (free apnee) Women
- 70 m, Tanya Streeter (USA), 06.05.2001, Guadeloupe, France (AIDA)

Free Immersion (free apnee) Men
- 90 m, Martin Stepanek (Czech Republic), 23.09.2001, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (AIDA)

Dynamic Apnea with fins, Women
- 150 m, Nathalie Desreac (France), 14.11.1998, Réunion Island, France (AIDA)

Dynamic Apnea with fins, Men
- 181 m, Herbert Nitsch (Austria), 02.02.2002, Maria Enzerdorf, Austria (AIDA)

Dynamic Apnea without fins, Women
- 95 m, Nathalie Desreac (France), 07.02.1999, Réunion Island, France (AIDA)

Dynamic Apnea without fins, Men
- 134 m, Herbert Nitsch (Austria), 24.11.2001, Wiesbaden, Germany (AIDA)

Static Apnea Women
- 6 mn 3 sec., Karoline M. Meyer Dal Toé (Brazil), 01.07.2001, Miami, FLorida, USA (AIDA)
[6 mn 16 sec, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank (Canada), 29.05.2002, Vancouver, Canada (AIDA recognition in progress)]

Static Apnea Men
- 8 mn 06 sec., Martin Stepanek (Czech Republic), 03.07.2001, Miami, Florida, USA (AIDA)

 

[JamesK]

Thanks for the clarification. However, the three articles I have read all say that her husband has hit 162 meters.

You are right though, it is the world she lived in.

 

[Rooster1]

sad tragedy prayers to the family

 

[WreckWriter]

I heard this on CNN this morning. Very sad news.

She lived in a world that so very few can ever even glimpse. It's a tradgedy for her family but not an unknown or even unexpected thing when one goes so far beyond normal human endurance.

My prayers for Pipin.

Tom

 

[seaangel]

I find this to be a sad situation, I am not convinced that the competitive free diving basic philosophy is truly safe. I watched a special on the Outdoor channel of her and her husband in one of their competions. She had a bad cold and cough, yet she continued to compete to break more of their records. She admitted that there was inherent risks, but wanted to complete. It was obvious she did not feel well then. At that time I wondered
why would someone compete feeling ill and place themselves in danger. The only answer I can come up with is the adrenalin rush must be addictive and do these free divers suffer from any form of deminished mental capacity holding their breath and diving to those extreme depths. There must be something happening physically to their brain and thought processes. I classify this in the thrill seeker and risk taker category.

I do sincerely offer my condolences for her husband and hope that no more accidents occur in his life.

 

[AquaTec]

JamesK once bubbled...
Thanks for the clarification. However, the three articles I have read all say that her husband has hit 162 meters.

You are right though, it is the world she lived in.

Thats why i was clarifing it for everybody, credit should go where credit is due

WORLD CHAMPION FREEDIVER, TANYA STREETER SHATTERS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN'S WORLD RECORDS AT CLUB MED TURKOISE, TURKS AND CAICOS


It has never been this deep!
MIAMI-August 17, 2002- A new Freediving World Record has been set today in the waters of Club Med Turkoise in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. World Champion Freediver, Tanya Streeter, reached her goal depth of 160m/525ft in a total dive time of 3 minutes and 26 seconds. This dive shatters the previous women's No Limits World Record held by Canadian, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank (136m/446ft) and even surpasses the men's No Limits World Record of 154m/505ft held by Frenchman, Loic LeFerme. Streeter has clearly shown her determination and passion to prove her psychological and physiological endurance capabilities by redefining her limits!

http://www.redefineyourlimits.com/ProvoDiary/Record/record.html

 

[OceanSpirit]

I attended the Dive Show in the UK yesterday and watched a talk by Tanya on her record breaking attempt. Although she spoke well and had the audience spellbound, she did not mention the sad news, which I found quite strange. I normally talk to her at some point during the Shows but she was constantly dogged by crowds of autograph seekers so didn't get a chance. I wanted to know if she was either unaware of the tragedy (unlikely as freedivers are a pretty tightly knit community) or if she felt that it wasn't the right time or place to mention it.

Sad news indeed. The freediving community will miss her.

 

[art.chick]

Sea angel mentioned that she was competing despite illness. We are all warned in basic classes that we should not dive even if we are a little under the weather. Yet how many instructors, professionals, & diving dignitaries have the "show must go on" attitude? I admit to having gone in the water on days when I would hve been better off in bed. This sad event will remind me that living to dive another day is more important than showing my mettle!