• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Tragic story of freediver who died after resurfacing while attempting record

Home> News

Published 15:34 28 Jun 2023 GMT+1

Tragic story of freediver who died after resurfacing while attempting record

Nicholas Mevoli was attempting a freediving record, but died just seconds after coming back to the surface

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A freediver died just seconds after surfacing above water again while trying to set a new record.

Nicholas Mevoli had dedicated himself to freediving, entering competitions around the world in which he dived to great depths without any additional air and often without flippers to help him descend.

However, the extreme sport that he loved would eventually lead to his tragic death as he attempted to break an American record by diving into the depths.

Born in Florida, Mevoli worked in television while keeping his freediving as a hobby.

Advert

He’d started competing in 2012, winning medals in several events and becoming the first American to dive down to 100 metres with just one breath.

However, in a competition organised by company Vertical Blue in the Bahamas, at the famous Dean’s Blue Hole, which has a depth of 202 metres, he met his end.

Nicholas Mevoli.
YouTube/Donya Amer

When freediving, the heart rate of a diver becomes slower and the lungs become compressed under pressure, as well as blood vessels shrinking.

The 32-year-old wanted to reach 72 metres with just one breath and no fins, but after he surfaced and gave everyone the ‘OK’ sign, he then lost consciousness and fell backwards and died.

Advert

The nine-day competition was cancelled as a mark of respect.

Nick’s close friend Grant Graves told CNN: “You don’t meet many people like Nick.

“He was the best diver in the U.S. - the best.

“He was one of a kind.

“I’d known him for two years and judged him too - and he was the best.”

Advert

Graves said that Mevoli’s death was the first to occur in freediving competition for 21 years.

In a statement, the competition organisers said: “We are very sad to report that earlier today Nicholas Mevoli (USA) tragically lost his life after a CNF dive to 72m.

“He was conscious when he surfaced but then blacked-out more than 30 seconds later. Emergency procedures were followed and despite receiving immediate medical attention, he failed to regain consciousness.

“At the moment we are all extremely shocked and saddened and trying to establish what happened. His family has been informed and all our thoughts and prayers are with them.

“Competition freediving has an enviable safety record but the sport can never be risk-free, something understood by all freedivers.

Advert

“We will give more details as soon as they emerge.”

Nicholas Mevoli was attempting to break an American record.
YouTube/Donya Amer

Afterwards, freediving’s governing body AIDA - Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée - published a report that found that Mevoli had died because of a ‘pulmonary hemorrhage due to barotrauma’.

Barotrauma is caused when a pressure difference between an unvented space in the body and the gas or fluid - in this case water - that surrounds it cause physical tissue damage.

In this case, to Mevoli’s lungs.

Advert

After his death, a big celebration of Mevoli’s life was held and he was honoured by the competition organisers.

Another friend, photographer Lia Barnett, said: “He was just an all round good guy.

“He was very altruistic. He cared about others a great deal and did a lot of volunteering and was much loved by everybody.”

If nothing else, he went out doing what he loved.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Carlos Correa

Topics: US News, Sport, World News

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
9 hours ago
10 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Girl, 9, dies after mum left her in the car whilst she went to work

    She was left unattended in the car for hours

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Incredible photo shows woman hanging on to tree before being rescued from freak flood that killed 27

    The woman had been swept 20 miles downriver before being rescued

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Man robbed bank claiming 'it was art' and filmed the whole thing

    Gonna have to try this one

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Someone made a £5000 Bitcoin investment in 2011 and has now made ridiculous profit 14 years later

    Maybe they're a time traveller who did what we all dream of

    News
  • Movie tells tragic story behind infamous image of young girl who died after being trapped in volcanic mudflow for 60 hours
  • Tragic last words of tallest man who ever lived after he died at a very young age
  • Physio speaks out about working with Diogo Jota in final hours before tragic death aged 28
  • Tragic last words of young girl who died after getting trapped in volcanic mudflow for 60 hours