the First Altar is the knowledge of Works, the Second a knowledge of Theory and the Third, the knowledge of Hope, the affirmation of Life..
............................................................................................. . . . . . . ... Simon of Taibutheh
.......................................................................................................... . . . . .......7th century AD

It is with profound sadness we extend our deepest sympathies, and sincere condolences to the family of the late Audre Mestre, who died at the age of 28 on the 12th of October in the Dominican Republic.

Audre was attempting to officially break the world record for No-Limits Ballast freediving and had managed to retrieve the marker at 172m (558ft), when complications set in on the ascent. She was pulled out of the water unconscious, and resuscitation was attempted for 2 hours by attending physicians and support team members before she was pronounced dead.

Consistently ranked in the Top 5 in the World for the past 5 years, Audre had unofficially broken the record 3 days earlier without complications. Married to the World Freediving Champion Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras, she was also one of the biggest voices in safety, and was a pioneer in numerous standards & protocols which saw the sport progress exponentially.

Known for her extreme humility and soft-spoken determination, she also used freediving as a means of working with children and brought light to their lives with Children's Ocean, besides her work with the International Association of Freediving (IAFD) and conservation, love for the marine environment and her cherished husband.

Rest in Peace, Audre
Aug 11 1974 - Oct 12th, 2002

* excerpt from one of her last interviews with www.deeperblue.net, please click here
** controversy regarding her death - tribute & replies written by Carlos Serra, Chairman International Association of Freediving

Freediving:

Basically the art of diving underwater sans breathing apparatus, was first brought to public attention by the Luc Besson classic "Le Grande Bleu" (The Big Blue) more than 20 years ago, which featured Jacque Mayol and Enzo Maiorca as childhood friends who pushed and motivated each other till freediving became accepted as a sport in the early 80s.

One of the very few sports in the world where gender does not matter, the world's Top 5 sees 5 men and 3 women constantly changing places, with the late Audre Mestre and Tanya Streeter the two most prominent women.

Various categories of freediving include Constant Ballast -which features unassisted diving in and out against the increasing water pressure - and No Limits Ballast, where competitors ride a weighted sled down a stainless steel cable to the designated depths before riding an inflated recovery balloon to the surface. This effectively removes the need to compensate for increased probability of hypoxia on ascent, and enabled the diver to concentrate fully on the body's ability to adapt to the pressure on descent.

Despite the inherent dangers of Freediving, the safety limits and protocols have been developing exponentially for the past 10 years, and continues to make advances in understanding the physiology with numerous training agencies dedicated to the sport and World Championship Teams Events for the past 8 years. For further info please go to: www.deeperblue.net, www.iafdusa.com or www.freediving-mag.com

Keep well, everyone..