NATALIA MOLCHANOVA VANISHES INTO THE SEA

Molchanova in the 2014 team world championships.

                                                     A DIVE NEAR CYRUS

In September 2009, Natalia Molchanova becomes the first woman to break the elusive 100m mark in a freedive.

The Russian completed the feat in waters off the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, in three minutes and 50 seconds.

She was the first woman to dive, on one breath, through the Blue Hole arch, located in waters near Dahab, Egypt.

ON SUNDAY, THE GREAT FEMALE FREEDIVER, NATALIA MOLCHANOVA WAS DIVING WITH FRIENDS OFF THE ISLAND OF FORMENTERA IN THE BALEARIC SEA.

DURING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW DIVE (98-130 FEET, 30-40 METERS), SHE SIMPLY VANISHED.

THE TEA ROOM HAD LONG FOLLOWED MS. MOLCHANOVA'S CAREER, AS WELL AS HER SON'S (ALEXEY MOLCHANOV), WHO IS ALSO A FREEDIVER.

FEW WOULD DISAGREE THAT SHE WAS THE GREATEST FREEDIVER IN THE WORLD.
SHE WAS 53 YEARS OLD.

AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH USING A DIVING ROBOTIC DEVICE AND AIR SUPPORT TO SCAN THE WATER'S SURFACE, HOPE FOR FINDING HER FADED, AND ON TUESDAY, HER SON ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS BELIEVED HIS MOTHER HAD BECOME ONE WITH THE SEA.

THE GREAT PHILOSOPHERS WARNED AGAINST HAVING "HEROES" AND I TOOK THAT TO HEART AT A YOUNG AGE, BUT HAVE ADMIRED SEVERAL FOR THEIR KIND SPIRITS, THEIR BRAVERY, THEIR HONESTY, AND STAMINA.
MS. MOLCHANOVA WAS ONE OF THOSE.

THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED ON HER DISAPPEARANCE AND THAT ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND <HERE>, BUT NO ONE WHO LOSES SOMEONE DEAR TO THEM CAN BE COMFORTED BY MUCH OF ANYTHING AT SUCH A TIME.
NEITHER "TRIBUTES" NOR EVEN SHARED TEARS HELP THOSE WHO GRIEVE.

CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, AND HOLDING TIGHTLY TO MEMORIES THAT INSPIRED AND AMAZED.