Your email address will not be published. The dangers of the Belize Blue Hole mainly lay in the sheer depth that divers can reach. In comparison, the indicative death rate for recreational freediving is estimated as one in 500. Remember you are in Egypt, in the middle of the desert. Thats after having only been to the Blue Hole once in the year before his death. Its even claimed the lives of professionals like Yuri Lipski, who may be the most famous death in the Blue Hole because it was all caught on film. He waited for me much longer than he should have, Molchanov says, but thats how he was., With Keenans passing, some are calling for a renewed focus on the well-being of safety divers. Both groups are always gearing up for the big one the next big adventure on their list. Floating in the deep: why do freedivers push themselves to the verge of death? The number of death caused to divers at the Blue Hole is only an estimate but any diver considering to dive in the Blue Hole should keep in mind that this place is not considered the most deadly diving spot in the world for no reason. Make sure you are weighted properly. Search. It is also worth mentioning that the months of March, October, and November are known to be windy months. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He passes the point where narcosis sets in and by 80 metres, hes under the control of the sea. The video ends seven minutes in when a thrashing Lipski pulls out his regulator. With these guys? Dive Asia Safari: inspirational dive adventures. Deans Blue hole is located near a Town called Clarence in the Bahamas. Whether you are new to the diving world or a pro, you will find something that will give a new perspective on your next (or your first) dive! The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off of the coast of Belize. For safety, she made sure Keenan was tailing her in case anything went wrong. A bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing., Many of those who died were attempting to swim under the arch. They are a way to get deep easily and it is theoretically simple to dive in blue holes because it is "just a hole": you can either get up or down. I believe that you will find Belize is a world class destination for both vacationing and scuba diving. Yuris companion returned 15 to 20 minutes after they began the dive. Tank Air Volume The people who dive here, he says, have created their own curse.. Although considered a bucket list dive site, you should be aware that this dive is for advanced and experienced divers only. Scuba diving is a safe sport as long as you stay well within your personal limits, take good care of your scuba gear, and follow the buddy system. You are now caught in a spiral of death, assuming you are on with normal compressed air, oxygen toxicity will kick in around 56 meters and will eventually kill you. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. "You let yourself go to the water. Even if you compare Egypt and the UK, I think the UK is probably up now., But as divers continue to push the limits of the sport, new dangers are never far behind. Opinions are split. A technical diver from Dahab, Omar began exploring the Blue Hole in 1992, fascinated by tales of a curse laid upon it when an unwilling party to an arranged marriage drowned herself there. It is located in the center of the Lighthouse Reef atoll, 70 km (43 miles) away from the mainland and Belize City. The area now is considered a divers cemetery for those whose bodies were not found after their death. Omar met Lipski one hour before his dive. The worst part is that you may not even notice it because the first symptom tends to be an assumption that everything is fine. It is recommended that a divershould have more than 24 dives logged. He was like everybody else showing up around Dahab, and we hear it every day: I want to do the Blue Hole, regardless of experience, regardless of certifications, A local diving instructor and guide said about Yuri Lipski, indicating that he may have been reckless and prone to overestimating his diving abilities. Scuba divers often experience this from breathing in compressed air from their tanks. Video taped by Yuri Lipski who died in a diving accident in the "Blue Hole", Dahab, Egypt at 28.4.2000. Researchers did not discover what lies at the bottom of the Great Blue Hole of Belize until 2018. 1 (2017). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); November 20, 2022 The blue hole Belize owns is about a thousand feet across and goes almost 450 feet down, making it the largest blue hole known. Going to oxygen bars may help you get used to the feeling (although the high pressure when diving means the air you breathe in places like the Blue Hole willbe different). Young swam down to turn around but Thompson continued upward and took a wrong turn and became trapped in what was described as an unmapped offshoot that led nowhere. All while educating people of the threats our marine life and oceans face every day and what we can do to help defend it. If youve done serious diving anywhere else in the world, chances are you alreadymeet the standards for diving here. As a safety diver, Keenan was one of the best in the business. Not even enough to dip in a toe. In an online tribute, freediving photographer Daan Verhoeven called Keenan our best safety diver., You knew he had your back, says Dr. Kerry Hollowell, an emergency room doc and competitive freediver on the U.S. National Team. This should only be done under the supervision of another experienced deep diver. You have successfully joined my subscriber list. Its deceptive beauty has earned it the nickname Divers Cemetery. The Great Blue Hole is one of the main attractions in Belize but swimming in it is only safe for experienced divers. This would have been a risky affair. Like most famous diving attractions, there are a lot of local guides waiting around the Blue Hole that you can rent gear from. Start planning your next scuba diving vacationtoday. Read more about our policy. That includes adjusting to the pressures and using the right gas mix to let you stay down and enjoy the area. Indian Ocean Explorer live-aboard : Hijacked ! Others think the sinkholes shape is a significant factor in the number of deaths attributed to the Blue Hole. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef atoll about 65 miles from Placencia. The Blue Hole is a 120-metre-deep sinkhole, five miles north of Dahab. The video shows Yuri on an involuntary and uncontrolled descent reaching the bottom at 115 meters deep. According to Dr James Caruso, the chief medical examiner for Denver, Colorado and an avid scuba diver, narcosis is often called the martini effect where as the diver goes deeper, the intoxication increases in a similar fashion to drinking more alcohol. From there, it tends to be affected by the water a diver is in. There are no narrow ways. Keenan bolted to her aid at a reported 50 meters (164 feet) and began finning her to the surface. Later, the video turns pitch black and we hear Yuri Lipski struggling to breathe. Visibility wasnt good, and the winds were high enough20 miles per hourthat they were pushing the water around, conjuring currents that could push a freediver off course, especially one who was aiming to traverse the Arch, an 85-foot-long redrock tunnel set 184 feet deep, on a single breath. Both his father and local divers seemed to recognize that he was a little too excited about diving into the Blue Hole and his own father seems to know, based on the comments hes made, that Yuri Lipski was a little too overconfident. I had that horrible situation that a safety always hates, Keenan told me in 2014 for my book One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits. Diving is rarely the problemits the ascent. Yet thousands continue to flock here each year, unperturbed by the increasing number of plaques that hang on the cliff opposite to mark those who never returned. Ironically, it was legends of a young woman who draws people to their untimely deaths that lured him to the Blue Hole. Dont Underestimate the Danger When You Dive the Blue Hole in Dahab. The Blue Hole is roughly 70 km/44 miles offshore. Experience divers, in search of one of the best diving experiences of their lives, come to Dahab for Egypts most famous diving site, the Blue Hole. It is located in the center of the Lighthouse Reef atoll, 70 km (43 miles) away from the mainland and Belize City. Thompson, a scuba diving instructor from San Diego, and Mike Young were looking for passageways, Young told investigators. From Ambergris Caye, it's a three-hour boat ride. Witnesses who saw Yuri Lipski during his final moments on land say that he was fully geared up but lacking in two crucial things: a diving buddy and a second oxygen tank. Death of Moby Dives scuba instructor brings sadness to a community. If it could happen to Steve, it could happen to anyone.. I said OK, so youll need two weeks training with me first, and then well film. With only a weekend in town, Lipski turned down Omars offer and set off alone. Known more formally as the Blue Hole Natural Monument, the area is jointly managed by Belizes government and the Belize Audubon Society, both of whom have a vested interest in maintaining the area. The exposed section of the underground Cave's Branch River tributary can be viewed for about 150 feet before it disappears again beneath the surface. Molchanovs inner ear became clogged, and the air he used to equalize his sinuses couldnt escape, causing vertigo on the ascent. Here's What TikTok Taught Me, Meet the Vanuatuan Land Divers: The Original Bungee Jumpers. It was a heroic and selfless move. Woman rescued after trying to climb Britains tallest peak in shorts, The 5 worst big-wave surfing wipeouts of the past year, Uber will bring you a vintage onesie to wear for Gaper Day. Fortunately, its not that hard to meet the qualifications. The divers, who found the body at a . If youre the type who likes going out into the world in search of the next scenic spot and the next thrill, youll understand how much preparation goes into planning trips. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Press J to jump to the feed. Helium (another inert gas) isnt absorbed as quickly, so its a good substitute. With no public record, its hard to say how many people have lost their lives. It can even help bring you there (intentionally or unintentionally), making it invaluable for deep dives. The more people you have, the safer the great Blue Hole is likely to be. Chances are youre not all going to black out at the same time, so Blue Hole diving in a larger group gives you severalextra hands in case things go wrong. Keenan was by Zecchinis side when she snagged her world record last May, which wasnt all that unusual. It is considered one of the best diving spots in the American Southwest. Yes. The Dahabs Blue Hole is not decorated with beautiful corrals and you will not find an abundance of marine life. Young started to exit the area following a safety line but silt had been kicked up and there was zero visibility. When it comes to outdoor activities like diving, where youre likely to be isolated and unreachable by immediate help, its recommended that you take someone with you. Some underwater formations especially anything light comes through look like the surface when youre underwater. When you are not able to control your decent you will drop deeper and deeper (sometimes without even knowing it). Because the entire dive, including his death, was recorded on . Many divers think when they have done 20 dives or so they are good and experienced divers, well I believe you are not. The camera used by Yuri to film his dive was found on the bottom and to Omars surprise the footage containing Yuris dying moments was not damaged, and Yuris death moments became available for divers all over the world on YouTube, making it one of the most famous deaths in diving. Alone. One of the problems that leads to so many people falling foul when they plan the dive is that it really doesnt seem that dangerous. One of the most notorious death at the Blue Hole was the death of 22 years old Russian-Israeli diver Yuri Lipski on April 28, 2000. So what are you waiting for? According to a 2018 Worksafe technical bulletin, a bounce dive is a maneuver that involves a diver diving to depths shallower than 21 meters with less than 15 minutes surface intervals between consecutive dives. Tarek Omar states of his failed attempts to warn Yuri Lipski about the dangers of this dive. Experience this from breathing in compressed air from their tanks feet ) and began her. 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