One Of The World’s Most Famous Free Divers Is Missing Near Ibiza

Throughout her career, Molchanova has achieved 41 world records, according to her family, and is a 23 time World Champion in Free Diving.

The son of the woman considered to be the greatest free diver ever says his mother is missing after diving in the Balearic Sea on Sunday.

Molchanova, a Russian who holds dozens of world records, did not surface after a recreational dive to about 35m (about 115ft) without fins off the coast of Formentera, an island near Ibiza.

Molchanova, 53, was diving with a group of three other divers for fun when she disappeared during what would have a dive of a modest depth for her – about 98 to 131 feet.

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Her fellow divers searched for her quickly before calling for help, according to The New York Times, which writes that she’s “widely regarded as the greatest free diver in history”. An initial search by a flotilla of private boats, the coast guard and helicopter failed to find her. Search efforts have been ongoing during daylight hours. She had been trying to dive, using the breast stroke and without fins, to the maximum depth.

Yet she even broke the traditional boundaries that separate male and female competitors in the highly demanding sport; in 2007 at World Championships in Maribor, Slovenia, her winning time in one of the disciplines was better than the winning male gold medal. Along with being one of the top athletes in the world she has a PhD in Pedagogical Science and has authored multiple scientific articles and two freediving training handbooks. At this point most of her Records were just resetting her previous achievements and her reputation at a “Freediving Machine” was well and truly established. Natalia has trained thousands of people to freedive in locations worldwide.