Follow U.S. EB-5 immigration and life in the U.S.: On the 17th, 32-year-old American free diving champion Nicholas Mevoli unfortunately died while attempting a new world record in free diving in the Bahamas. It is reported that Mevoli is the first athlete to die in an international competition in 21 years of free diving.
Mevoli, from New York, challenged a new world record on the 17th in what is considered the deepest sinkhole in the world—the Blue Hole in the Bahamas. He planned to dive to a depth of 236 feet (approximately 72 meters) on a single breath of air without any external assistance. When Mevoli descended to approximately 61 meters, he signaled an "OK" gesture but subsequently lost consciousness. Despite the rescue efforts from the event medical staff, he unfortunately did not wake up.
Regarding this unfortunate incident, the event organizers issued a statement saying: "We believe free diving is a relatively safe sport, but any sport carries inherent risks. We deeply regret to announce that Mevoli experienced an accident while diving to approximately 61 meters, and despite the full rescue efforts by the medical staff, he unfortunately passed away after being taken to the hospital. He is also the first athlete to die in an international competition in the 21-year history of free diving."
Reportedly, the 10-day event attracted 56 challengers from 21 countries. The event also included challenges in other disciplines.
It is noted that Mevoli only began participating in free diving at the beginning of last year, but he quickly won championships in competitions held in the Cayman Islands and Curaçao.