World's Greatest Free Diver Feared Dead Off Spanish Islands

5th August 2015

#Diving - A pioneering free diver considered to be the greatest ever in the extreme sport is missing and feared dead off the Balearic Islands.

As Discovery News reports, Natalia Molchanova was diving with friends off Ibiza on Sunday (2 August) when she failed to return to the surface.

It's reported that the 53-year-old was diving to depths of up to 35 metres without fins when she disappeared, feared carried away by a strong deepwater current.

"She was a free-diving superstar and we all thought nothing could harm her," said Kimmo Lahtinen of free diving's global governing body upon news yesterday (Tuesday 4 August) that the search for Molchanova, the most decorated competitor in the sport's history, had become a recovery operation.

Despite the dangers involved in free diving, it's been described as "the most relaxing extreme sport" according to Irish free diver Feargus Callagy.

Published in Diving

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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