World's 'Greatest Freediver' Feared Dead

The woman considered one of the greatest freedivers of all time is feared dead after she failed to surface after a dive in the Mediterranean.

Natalia Molchanova was diving without fins to a planned depth of 35 metres (115ft) near La Savina port on Formentera, a small island that lies south of Ibiza, where it is feared she may have encountered a strong underwater current.

Molchanova, 53, holds 41 world records in freediving – diving without breathing

apparatus – and can hold her breath for nine minutes. In May, she dived to a depth of 71 metres in waters off Egypt.

The local coastguard and the Guardia Civil arrived in the area at 5pm local time on Sunday after Molchanova’s friends reported her missing. They searched the area until sunset while a helicopter searched overhead for signs of the diver.

On Tuesday, an underwater robot was brought in to widen the search.

Miguel Chicón of Spain’s coastguard told Europa Press: “The search efforts are now incredibly complicated. On Sunday we searched the zone with no success and now the depths we need to search can reach 80 metres.”

He noted that the skies were clear and the sea was calm on Sunday, and had been that way since.

Molchanova was diving in an area known for strong currents, where the water temperature can dip sharply once divers get below the surface – something that can affect even the most experienced of divers.

Alexey Molchanov, her son, said he believed his mother was dead.

 The freediving community also appears to have accepted that Molchanova is unlikely to have survived.

Will Trubridge, one of the most respected freedivers in the world, tweeted that the world had “lost its greatest free diver”.

The freediving website Deeper Blue said Molchanova exploded on to the scene in 2003 when she set a world record in only her second competition by swimming underwater for 150 metres without fins at the Freediver Classic Open in Cyprus.

A year later she broke that record again and in 2005 confirmed her dominance in the sport by breaking nine world records in six free-diving categories. “At this point there was no doubt that there was a new superwoman in the sport of freediving,” Deeper Blue said.

She continued to set new world records for the next decade. In 2013, Molchanova swam 182 metres under water with no fins at the world championships in Belgrade, breaking the record by 19 metres.

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, personally congratulated Molchanova on her performance in Belgrade.

At the following year’s world championship in Sardinia she broke the world record with a fin by diving for 237 metres.

Aida International, the freediving governing body, issued a joint statement with Molchanova’s family paying tribute to her achievements. “She was an inspiration to all freedivers and despite being one of the fiercest competitors in the world, she was always calm and relaxed during competitions,” the statement read.

Freedivers rely on holding their breath underwater, rather than using aids such as scuba gear.

Molchanova was born in Russia and was a swimmer before switching to freediving, where she won 20 individual golds at world championships. Like his mother, Molchanov is also a free-diving world record holder.

Culled from TheGuardian.com