Polish diver dies in world record attempt to 333m

[Germie]

Germie, many thanks for this detailed explanation! I had already tried to figure out the reason why CCR seems to become problematic at "shallower" depths than OC, and arrived at the CO2 problem. Very interesting to see it confirmed by someone who actually does challenging CCR dives!

Thanks, but my dives will not go to 300+, even not 200+. Maybe I will do once 150m, but there must be a reason.
Last month deep at the u455 wreck. Then it makes sence. A deep wreck or cave or a nice reef, then i can think lets go. But just a bounce touch and go for a record? No.

Another point for such dives: you go down as fast as possible, that is also more difficult on ccr. Then you go up as fast as possible 25-30 m per minute instead of the 10m/min. To the theoretically ' offgassing point'.

Hpns, i have had it it 130m. Another point you will almost certainly experience at 150+

In my experience, the risk of problems grows significant deeper than 130m. I have had hpns, and on another dive a co2 hit. And happely a lot of deep dives without problems. But never think too easy about 100+m. Even 80m is deep. No dive is worth the risk of dying.

At 100 m one minute more bottomtime is about 8 minutes more decotime with 15-20 minutes planned bottomtime.
At 130m one minute longer is already around 22 minutes more decotime. So such dives must be planned extremely carefully. And safetydivers needed. You cannot take your own gases anymore. Just 20 seconds late at 180m, go back, or you will not make it back to surface.

Already at 100m you can, or must think about safetydivers, cylinderdonkeys. I have done on a twin12 a wreckdive to 110m depth with a bottomtime of 17 minutes. Your bottomgas can be within the 1/3 rule. But forget it with travelgas and decogases. So a decostation absoluty needed. If you miss it?
Here 40m support makes such dives easier.
Deeper you need at 100mof maybe more support. Thismeans your safetydives also need shallower support from other safetydivers. Quite complex.
For example you bounce to 150m, andyou will be back at 100m, at 23minutes, your safetydiver must be there too. He
Can wait 1-2 minutes, but has to go back for his safety.
Supportdivers must be extremely skilled technical solodivers. Not for every diver.

 

[Dominik_E]

Well already 120m for the U-boat wreck is already quite deep.

 

[Germie]

Well already 120m for the U-boat wreck is already quite deep.

We didnt went to the bottom, but did the tower. Deep diving must make sence. And that is not allways the bottom. But yes, it was a deep dive.

 

[1atm]

Sylwia Winnik Official

Edit: He reached his goal of 333m, but did not have the luck to come back.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today sad news reached us.

Sebastian Marczewski - a wonderful person, excellent soldier and great diver, hero of my book "Tylko przeżyć. Pravdziwe's history rodzin polskich żołnierzy "(" Just surviving true history of Polish soldier families "), died today in Lake Garda in Italy, trying to break the world record in extreme diving, which he passionately devoted.

For several weeks he trained in Lake Garda in Italy, where he had the plan to reach 333m depth.

The first time I met him and listened to his stories about his military service, the assignment in Afghanistan, his passion for climbing and extreme diving, I was full of admiration, but also fears.

- Are not you afraid that you will not succeed? - I asked
- Fear always stays - he told. You cannot be afraid. In the presence of death you have to be humble.

He continued to talk about the depths of life and death - so he named the title of a book he wrote. He awed in me great respect and recognition. He has separated the risk from the danger. And that was wonderful, the awareness of the action taken. When I asked how many people have already dived in Lake Garda, he answered: - There were about 20 people on the moon. In Lake Garda, only 3 people have successfully dived. I could be the next one. I do not have to do anything. I have no arrogance in me that I have to break the world record. If I reach 260m, it will still be a great success for me.

At today's training, between Tignale and the harbor Tremosine, something went wrong. Despite the fact that some rescue units were sent, he was unable to rescue the Coast Guard Sebastian. The details are to be discussed. The search for our friend is still ongoing. He could be in about 150m depth. He is the fourth Polish diver since 2017 who has lost his life lost in Lake Garda.

Two years ago, in the Lake Garda, the Polish world record was achieved in deep diving with 240m.

As a soldier, he participated in a deployment in Afghanistan, during which he sustained serious injuries to the spine during a mine explosion.

He was just preparing to break the current world record of 333m. I can not even imagine what his wife and son feel. I am incredibly sorry and I miss the words. I am with you with hearts and prayers.

The post has a picture of (allegedly) his dive computer, showing a depth of 333.8 meters.

 

[1atm]

If I remember correctly, Guinness World Records stopped recognizing ultra deep air diving in 2005 due to the extremely high fatality rate. The still standing record on air I believe is 155m ...

Given the high fatality rate in recent years trying to push beyond 300m (using mixed gas) makes you wonder if mankind has met the limits of physics once more and it might be time to reconsider ...?

 

[Storker]

Given the high fatality rate in recent years trying to push beyond 300m (using mixed gas) makes you wonder if mankind has met the limits of physics once more and it might be time to reconsider ...?

I've long stopped wondering. Gas requirements, gas density, HNPS,... I sincerely believe that anyone planning that kind of bounce dives is sending out an invitation for Darwin to join the team.

 

[Hiszpan]

Here below is my translation of the statement from the Sebastian Marczewski's dive team:
"
Statement by the Team of Sebastian Marczewski.

According to the plan to attempt to break the world record in diving at 333 meters, preparations began around 5:00 AM on 6 July 2019. After the diving platform has been reached at the position of the dive attempt, the immersion of Mr. Sebastian Marczewski began at 6:22 AM. This was the last time we saw the late Sebastian alive. After 1h40min, the support diver was to meet with the late Sebastian at a depth of about 100 meters. Unfortunately at this point Sebastian was not there, therefore a diver descended to a depth of 159 meters where he noticed below him, at some distance from the descent line, motionless light. Because the gas mix he had did not allow for a deeper immersion, he began to ascend. After about 3 hours the second diver went to meet with the Sebastian and this time again the meeting did not happen. After information of unsuccesfull meeting from the second diver that Sebastian was not at the set depth, we notified the Italian Emergency Services about the fact. The rescue boat with the help of sonar traced the late Sebastian at a depth of about 170 meters. The rescuers then allowed us to leave the dive site. Around 07:00PM, the body was retrieved. Today, July 7, 2019, the EMS informed us that the assumed depth of 333 meters was achieved, but during the ascent the diver got entangled in the guide line which resulted in his tragic death. For the lst several hours we have learned that the good name of the late Sebastian is unreasonably attacked by people who do not have adequate diving knowledge and the basics of good manners and do not respect his previous achievements, which in recent years has brought much to Polish diving. We ask them to refrain from groundless discussions about the event, because they were too far away from the situation.

Krzysztof Dołowy,

Robert Kupszta,

Rafał Kijek,

Jowita Kozana

July 7, 2019. Limone sul Garda"

There is also a picture of the dive computer provided with this FB post, which I am attaching here. Not sure if this is the dive computer of Sebastian as there is no more info with the picture.

 

[W W Meixner]

Here below is my translation of the statement from the Sebastian Marczewski's dive team:
"
Statement by the Team of Sebastian Marczewski.

According to the plan to attempt to break the world record in diving at 333 meters, preparations began around 5:00 AM on 6 July 2019. After the diving platform has been reached at the position of the dive attempt, the immersion of Mr. Sebastian Marczewski began at 6:22 AM. This was the last time we saw the late Sebastian alive. After 1h40min, the support diver was to meet with the late Sebastian at a depth of about 100 meters. Unfortunately at this point Sebastian was not there, therefore a diver descended to a depth of 159 meters where he noticed below him, at some distance from the descent line, motionless light. Because the gas mix he had did not allow for a deeper immersion, he began to ascend. After about 3 hours the second diver went to meet with the Sebastian and this time again the meeting did not happen. After information of unsuccesfull meeting from the second diver that Sebastian was not at the set depth, we notified the Italian Emergency Services about the fact. The rescue boat with the help of sonar traced the late Sebastian at a depth of about 170 meters. The rescuers then allowed us to leave the dive site. Around 07:00PM, the body was retrieved. Today, July 7, 2019, the EMS informed us that the assumed depth of 333 meters was achieved, but during the ascent the diver got entangled in the guide line which resulted in his tragic death. For the lst several hours we have learned that the good name of the late Sebastian is unreasonably attacked by people who do not have adequate diving knowledge and the basics of good manners and do not respect his previous achievements, which in recent years has brought much to Polish diving. We ask them to refrain from groundless discussions about the event, because they were too far away from the situation.

Krzysztof Dołowy,

Robert Kupszta,

Rafał Kijek,

Jowita Kozana

July 7, 2019. Limone sul Garda"

There is also a picture of the dive computer provided with this FB post, which I am attaching here. Not sure if this is the dive computer of Sebastian as there is no more info with the picture.
View attachment 528022

H...

What you are saying is true...and very respectful...unfortunately...none of it matters...

The term...''recreational''...and...''sport''...somehow seems to have been lost...

Scuba Board...needs to be more than an ever increasing obituary notice board...

Rest In Peace Sebastian...

W...

 

[Dominik_E]

"For the lst several hours we have learned that the good name of the late Sebastian is unreasonably attacked by people who do not have adequate diving knowledge and the basics of good manners and do not respect his previous achievements, which in recent years has brought much to Polish diving. We ask them to refrain from groundless discussions about the event, because they were too far away from the situation."

This, in my opinion is something that definitely should be emphasised. Rest in peace!

 

[doctormike]

"For the lst several hours we have learned that the good name of the late Sebastian is unreasonably attacked by people who do not have adequate diving knowledge and the basics of good manners and do not respect his previous achievements, which in recent years has brought much to Polish diving. We ask them to refrain from groundless discussions about the event, because they were too far away from the situation."

This, in my opinion is something that definitely should be emphasised. Rest in peace!

The problem is that by having a moratorium on criticizing these depth record attempts, all that is left is the glory, and others may decide to chase that glory with lethal results. Of course, there is no scuba police and at least in this country there is no legal framework from preventing such stunts. So we are left with community standards and consensus to guide us.

I don't know this diver, and I'll believe it if his friends say that he was qualified and just ran up against the knife edge between possible and impossible. What about "doc deep", who had nowhere near the qualifications of many local technical divers, produced over the top videos promoting his depth attempt ahead of time, and then predictably died? Much of the criticism was about the glorification of such attempts, and how this might end up killing another easily persuadable diver.

There are lots of records that might well probe the boundary between the physiologically survivable and fatal, but we don't encourage them. How much gasoline can you drink? How many gunshot wounds can you survive? I think that these extreme depth bounce dives on scuba are close to that category at this point...