No Limits
How long can you stay under water? Imagine taking a single breath and then diving nearly a 200 hundred meters into the ocean on a weighted sled. Welcome to the ultimately extreme sport of No Limits Freediving. People have a hard time understanding that what freedivers do is possible without being crazy risk-driven freak. Statistically it's the safest extreme sport on the planet.
On October 12th 2002 Audrey Mestre attempted to break the No Limits world record by diving 564 feet on a single breath of air. Audrey had been married to 'Pipin' Ferreras, a world record free diver with cult-like celebrity status within the sport. Sports Illustrated described their relationship as follows:
Carried away by love - for risk and for each other - two of the world's best freedivers went to the limits of their sport. Only one came back. - Gary Smith.
When you live on the edge you're driven to the extreme. Football, as dangerous as it is, isn't risky enough for certain types of human beings. It's something that needs to be pushed further and further and one mistake or whatever happens is all it's going to take and tip it into tragedy.
Sports Illustrated built the story as one of love and obsession, but was this an underwater tale of star-crossed lovers? Pipin hired a ghostwriter (Linda Robertson) to pen his autobiography but what had been presented to her as kind of a romantic tragedy, the more she looked into it the more she felt like that was very simplistic depiction of what happened.
Francisco 'Pipin' Ferreras was born in Cuba on January 18th 1962. He had deformed legs and feet, orthopedic shoes, asthma, really bad eyesight, thick glasses... and the kids made fun of him. Thanks to an uncle who put him under water, he discovered that he can swim before can walk. As the young Cuban healed from his ailments the water also provided him a living.
This is disguised suicide. .. period.
The return bottle was almost empty?? I think that explains her husband ‘s guilt,
Couple of the men wanted to check to make sure there was enough air in it but he refused to let them, the most important part of safety for free divers, I feel he’s
100% responsible for his wife ‘s death, should be in prison.
Pippin needs to be chained to a ships anchor and sunk.
I felt really sorry for her. Rest in peace.
Im my opinion, it's not really "free diving" if you ride a weighted sled down.
Swim down and then back up "freely".
Bill Strongberg's statement (at 28:00) that at least twice people ask to check the return bottle for air and Pipin told them to stay away from it – pretty much takes all the mystery away IMO.
Great film of the literal depths that humanity will go to show off its greatness, or lack thereof.
Very well done. My verdict. Simple. Occam's Razor.
I taught diving for 10 years. There is no doubt in my mind that she died because of her husbands actions. The lack of safety divers being the biggest mistake.
Another example when unprofessional id*ots pushing the existence level of human beings.Pipin should go jail for murder
I'm recommending this one.
Not what I was expecting at all. Loved how they filmed and presented this. Can't write any more or I'll give the ending away.
Interesting documentary to learn about deep freediving. The deaths give a real bad vibe to the whole thing though...
Note to self: For all future attempts at world records, create your own governing body.