World's greatest freediver Natalia Molchanova missing in Ibiza

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World's greatest freediver Natalia Molchanova missing in Ibiza after failing to surface

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 05 August, 2015, 10:37pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 05 August, 2015, 10:37pm

The Guardian

Natalia Molchanova was diving without fins to a planned depth of 35 metres near La Savina port on Formenter. Photo: AFP

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 near La Savina port on Formentera, a small island 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.

A helicopter monitored the area and private boats joined the search, said Miguel Félix Chicón, head of Spain’s coastguard in the Balearic Islands. “We searched all evening until the sun set. We combed the entire zone and ruled out the possibility that she was near the surface."

Chicón said Molchanova was believed to be wearing weights, often used by freedivers to help the descent. “Everything suggests she was wearing weights of around six kilos,” he said.

After failing to find her near the surface, rescue workers believe Molchanova did not remove the weights, pushing the search to the depths of the sea. “The area now being searched reaches depths of around 80 metres. And those depths make things very complicated,” Chicón said.

On Tuesday, an underwater robot was brought in to widen the search area and is working alongside divers from the Guardia Civil.

“The specialist divers from the Guardia Civil need to use a blend of helium, nitrogen and oxygen to be able to carry out their work. They can only dive for short periods of time and many safety precautions must be taken to allow them to work under those conditions,” Chicón said.

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.

Chicón said if Molchanova did in fact remove the weights it would have left her at the mercy of the area’s strong currents. “In that case, it’s very difficult to figure out where she would have ended up,” he said.

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, a respected freediver, tweeted that the world had “lost its greatest freediver”.

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 freediving 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 underwater 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 freediving world record holder.