French freediver Loic Leferme dies

[Diver0001]

The local news covered this story today:

http://loic.leferme.free.fr/detect1.html

It basically says that he was training for a record attempt and was making a 170 metre dive when something on his sled malfunctioned and he couldn't return to the surface.

R..

 

[grassyknoll]

Not being able to read French the link does little good for me, does anyone have a link to an English language article?

 

[freediver]

Not being able to read French the link does little good for me, does anyone have a link to an English language article?

Check this site for info. Yes, a malfunction with the sled on the ascent portion of his dive. He was 36 years of age. Tragic ending to an accomplished freediver and all around great individual.

 

[Diver0001]

You know, if you think about the root cause of this death it seems to me that it lies in fact that extreme free divers are working with zero margin for error and zero contingency.

If they already take a cylinder of gas with them for inflating their lift bag it just seems to stand to reason that they could fill the cylinder with something breathable to give themselves a fighting chance in case Murphy is waiting for them. Not doing something along these lines seems like an unnecessary acceptance of risk to me.

R..

 

[cneal]

seems like an unnecessary acceptance of risk to me.

That's the whole point of pushing the edge of the envelope. You're out there on you own, without any expectation of help. Make it safe and those hunting for the satisfaction of going there and coming back will go somewhere else. The fact that some don't come back _is_ the point.

It doesn't matter if it's free climbing a mountain, single handed sailing offshore without a radio, or solo scuba diving. Being able to handle potentially dangerous situations on your own has a great attraction for many. And those it does not attract can see no reason for it.

 

[freediver]

I am certainly in agreement guys. I am merely interested in the physical and mental capabilities of these elite but a senseless tragedy such as this overshadows any physical and mental impressions on me.

 

[Cacia]

That's the whole point of pushing the edge of the envelope.

yea, I can't understand suggesting redundancy, it misses the whole point of doing it without a tank in the first place.

 

[rockjock3]

Sorry everybody, I have to disagree.

You are still doing it yourself. The tank can have a seal that if used will be broken. He didn't die because he couldn't do it. He died because of an equipment malfunction. I don't feel that is the same.

If I am trying to break a record and I refuse to use the emergency air and I die then that is one thing. If I am trying to break a record (or training) and die because the sled malfunctions and I had no way to get back that is senseless. I didn't die because I was unable to perform the feat I died because of a mechanical failure.

A freediver's feat is not diminished by the fact they had an emergency bottle with them, just as a mountain climber summiting Everest without using O2 is not diminished just because they carried the bottle with them "just-in-case".

If they use the bottle it just means that they live to try again another day.

 

[dutchpickle]

Makes sense to me...

 

[Scared Silly]

That's the whole point of pushing the edge of the envelope. You're out there on you own, without any expectation of help. Make it safe and those hunting for the satisfaction of going there and coming back will go somewhere else. The fact that some don't come back _is_ the point.

It doesn't matter if it's free climbing a mountain, single handed sailing offshore without a radio, or solo scuba diving. Being able to handle potentially dangerous situations on your own has a great attraction for many. And those it does not attract can see no reason for it.

As some one who has spent alot of time down in the blue and up in the white I have to disagree. There is pushing the envelope and being out there on your own and there is also taking steps to insure your survivial. These are not mutually exclusive.

In many cases free diver have support teams waiting at various depths just in case there is a major screw up.

That said I am sorry to hear that he died because of an equipment failure. I hope that the free diving community will learn from the failure so that others may pursue their activity with greater safety.