FreeDiver Missing and Presumed Drowned

[Freedive WI]

I'll assume he was diving solo.

Freediving solo is much more dangerous than scuba diving solo. We lose close to 100 freedivers a year, around the world, under similar circumstances. Most of them are spearos- who always seem to dive alone. There have been very few incidents in competitions, unless you are dumb enough to trust Pipin to set up your safety net, and they have a very good record in spite of the depths that they reach. Freediving with a buddy is critical if your pushing yourself in any way- and that goes double for pool training where another large sum of the freedivers who perish meet their fate.

There is a company that's working to bring a freediving safety vest on line within the next year, or so, to help prevent such accidents. It is a self infatng vest, like a C02 lifjacket that yachters are now wearing, attched to a wrist mount computer that will auto inflate the vest under certain circumstances. I've got one on my wish list as soon as they come out.

Jon