Death of a very famous Free Diver.

[freediver]

I don't believe she was "sick" nor was she in a "competition", she was attempting to set an individual record. What amazes me are all the worldwide posts from those "non-freedivers" who speculate on what went wrong or those who say she was participating in a thrill seeker sport that was inherently dangerous. Last time I checked, scuba was inherently dangerous but I would not expect that to keep any avid diver from participating. Something went terribly wrong and, it is likel;y that only Audrey Mestre knows with any degree of certainty, what truly happened.
My heart felt sympathy is with Pipin and Audrey's family.

 

[GP]

freediver once bubbled...
[BWhat amazes me are all the worldwide posts from those "non-freedivers" who speculate on what went wrong or those who say she was participating in a thrill seeker sport that was inherently dangerous. Last time I checked, scuba was inherently dangerous but I would not expect that to keep any avid diver from participating. [/B]

I respectufully disagree. I think that's an unfair comparison you've drawn. There's no question that free diving to the depth she was attempting "IS" more dangerous than your average recreational scuba dive.

 

[AquaTec]

Apples and Oranges

Freediving to 100 feet is the same as scuba diving to 100 feet

Freediving to 500 feet is a dangerouse as scuba diving to 500 feet

Freediving to 500 feet can not be compared to recreational diving, but you can pretty well draw a stright line across any depth, with the risks being simular.

you could probable even say that the scuba diver is at a higher danger in a freediving competitions because they are spending more time in the water

 

[freediver]

diving to ANY depth is inherently dangerous! This is why we seek training and qualified instruction. I guess my point being that risk is relative. If you are freediving or scuba diving to 10 feet, then the risk is relatively low and also to parallel scuba, the greatest risk in freediving, as is in scuba, is not the depth achieved, but the ascent. GP, I don't believe that the comparison is unfair, what is unfair is for one to make a claim about an activity they know very little about. I have been scuba diving for 13 years and freediving for 15 years and have done so without incident because I know the inherent dangers of both and I always have my safeguards attended to. Once again, the risk is relative and Audrey knew this and accepted it.

 

[AquaTec]

Hey freediver
Are you off to Hawaii on the 25th.

If so I should see you there

 

[sheck33]

and unfortuneate
maybe there is some comfort to be found in the fact that she died doing what she loved most.

 

[freediver]

no AquaTec, I'm afraid that I am stuck here in lovely east Texas!

 

[AquaTec]

I am still trying to make arrangements with work, I hope to be able to go and act as one of the safety divers, prefferably the bottom guy, shooting video

 

[freediver]

I hope it works out and you can make it!

 

[seaangel]

Aquatec,
First:
The Freediving special that I watched on the Outdoor Channel was several months ago, this was months before the Freediving that cost her life. It was not billed as a competition, she was attempting to break records, but isn't that a competion of sorts?
Even if breaking ones own record or others that equals competition to me. Not saying that is bad, I think that is a human quality we all seem to have.

Second: I verified with my husband who also watched and he remembered she did have a cold and had headcongestion. He recalled that when interviewed she was somewhat concerned but not enough to call the dive. Again this was not the same freedive in which she lost her life, it was at another time.

Third: Yes, all diving be it free diving or scuba does have hazards that all prudent divers should be aware of. We all need to be willing to call a dive if need be. Also, I think being overly confident may not be a good thing. We should keep the hazards ever present and not forget the basics we were taught.

This is not meant to offend anyone, just my personal feelings on the safety and hazards of all diving.

Get wet and be safe.