Have you heard about freediving? If not, let us tell you that it is one of the most dangerous sports that one can play. In freediving, you will have to hold your breath and dive deep into the water and have to resurface within seconds. If you are not resurfacing within the given time, you may even die. It is due to this reason that many freedivers face death each year. Today we are going to learn about the famous personality Audrey Mestre who was a freediver. She faced her death while diving deep into the waters. If you are willing to know more about her, you will have to continue reading the article.
Who Is Audrey Mestre? The “Human Mermaid”
Before we get into the details of her death, let us first get to know who she was. Audrey Mestre was a woman of French ethnicity. She was born on 11th August 1974. From a young age, Audrey was interested to know about the waters. She was impeccable in swimming which made her a champion at the tender age of two. Mestre was born into a family where the members were already involved in some profession that included either the sea or the ocean. Hence, the fact that she went to become a freediver is not a surprise at all.
Throughout her life, Mestre tried to know her friend, the waters, as closely as possible. She had a close connection with the water and an affinity for the seas and the oceans. As a result of which, even when she had typhoid that could have restricted her connection with water, she did not stop herself. This disease resulted in a back problem that is called scoliosis. Did this problem restrict her swimming practices? Absolutely not. In fact, when inside the water, she felt liberated.
Although people thought that her back problem will not allow her to swim anymore, the lady proved herself to be the real-life mermaid because of her love for the waters. Since she wanted to know more about it, she enrolled herself at La Paz University in Mexico. During her days at the university, she fell in love with another famous Cuban freediver, Franciso “Pipin” Ferreras. While she was studying Marine Biology, she was also having a developing romance with Ferreras. Later on, they even went on to marry each other in 1999.
The Tragic Death Of The Real-Life Mermaid
The real-life mermaid, Audrey Mestre met her death tragically in 2002. It was 12th October, and Mestre was all set to break the record set by Tanya Streeter in freediving. Who knew, that while trying to make her dreams come true, she would meet with her untimely death? Before the final leap that she wanted to take on 12th October, she had tried test dives before that. Those dives were fine, but the final one did not end up positively like the other ones.
She wanted to dive 171 metres on 12th October 2002 in an attempt of breaking the record that had been set already. She took a deep breath and went in for the dive. However, when she tried to come back up, she could not. Her lift air bag did not function properly. Consequently, the balloon that was supposed to be inflated in order to bring her up to the surface, was not inflated because there was no air in the tank. She was under the water for more than three minutes, beyond the time limit of her dive. When the safety personnel finally bought her up on the shore, she did not receive any medical attention. Hence, despite having a pulse, she lost her life.
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The Controversy Surrounding The Death
There are various controversies surrounding the death of Audrey Mestre. Most people have blamed her husband, Ferreras for the death of Mestre. People have suggested that her death could have been avoided if there were adequate facilities. The low fund that went into the entire set-up was considered another reason behind the death of the freediver. Her death in the sea of the Dominican Republic was completely accidental, and there were technical faults in the scenario.
Some people have also accused Ferreras of murdering Mestre. They believe that since Audrey was becoming the competitor of her husband, he could have tried to murder her. Coincidentally, Ferreras was responsible for checking the lift air bag of Mestre. This made the scenario all the sketchier. However, Ferreras did not suffer any punishment based on the conjectures that were drawn.