Hope fades as search continues for lost free diver Natalia Molchanova
For record-setting Russian free diver Natalia Molchanova, plunging headfirst into 100 feet of water with a weight tied around her neck could hardly have seemed like a daunting task. She had dived double that depth in May, setting the world record for the deepest dive without fins, and had once held her breath while lying face-down in a pool for more than nine minutes,聽
But the 98- to 130-foot dive Ms. Molchanova attempted Sunday off the coast of Formentera Island near Ibiza, Spain ultimately resulted in her disappearance, according to a issued by her family and the international diving organization AIDA.
Spanish rescue forces have been searching for her since the peers she was diving with radioed for help, and they will continue searching until a full week has passed since her disappearance, Spain鈥檚 Guardia Civil police told AFP.
But as of Wednesday, Molchanova was presumed dead, and the search moved from underwater to the surface, Molchanova鈥檚 family hired a submersible robot that will keep searching underwater while official forces redirect their efforts.
鈥淪he was a free-diving superstar, and we all thought nothing could harm her,鈥� AIDA president Kimmo Lahtinen 鈥淣othing could happen to her, but, you know, we are playing with the ocean, and when you play with the ocean, you know who is the strongest one.鈥�
In the joint statement, AIDA and Molchanova鈥檚 family say Molchanova 鈥渨as separated from her peers鈥� and was probably caught by a 鈥渟trong underwater current.鈥�
The 53-year-old mother of two holds 41 world records and 23 world championship titles, the statement said, making her the most decorated free diver in the world. According to the Times, she is also the only female diver ever to plunge deeper than 100 meters (about 328 feet), which she did at the world championship in Greece in 2013, the same year her son, Alexey Molchanov, set a men鈥檚 depth record at 128 meters (about 420 feet).
鈥淭he world has lost its greatest free diver,鈥� Will Trubridge, who holds 15 world records in free diving, told the Times. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anybody would dispute that.鈥�
Though 鈥渢he cause of Natalia鈥檚 disappearance is unknown,鈥� the statement said, 鈥渟he was doing what she loved.鈥� Molchanova told the New York Times last year that free diving helped her 鈥渞eset.鈥�
鈥淔ree diving is not only sport, it鈥檚 a way to understand who we are,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen we go down, if we don鈥檛 think, we understand we are whole. We are one with world. When we think, we are separate. On surface, it is natural to think and we have many information inside. We need to reset sometimes. Free diving helps do that.鈥�
Despite the shock of the tragedy, Mr. Molchanov told the Times that if his mother is no longer alive, it is fitting that she died while diving.
鈥淚t seems she鈥檒l stay in the sea,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think she would like that.鈥�
