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Audrey Mestre

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Swimmer

The Resume

    (August 11, 1974-October 12, 2002)
    Born in Saint-Denis, France
    French world record-setting freediver
    Moved to Miami in 1996 with fellow freediver Francisco 'Pipin' Ferreras and married him in 1999
    Broke female world record in 2000 by free diving to a depth of 410 feet (125 meters) on a single breath of air off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    Broke her own record in 2001 by descending to 427 feet (130 meters)
    Again broke her own record on October 4, 2002, off Bayahibe Beach in the Dominican Republic , descending to 545 feet (166 meters)
    Drowned at age 28 attempting to dive in the same spot eight days later to a record 561 feet (171 meters)
    Subject of the 2004 book 'The Dive: A Story of Love and Obsession' by Ferreras

Why she might be annoying:

    At a Mexican bar in 1996, she sought Ferreras out, and her pick-up line was, 'When, for example, you're at 14 atmospheres of pressure, and all the organs in your chest cavity have shifted six or seven centimeters, can you try to describe exactly what you think is happening to your body?'
    Studying to become a marine biologist at a university in La Paz, Mexico, she dropped out to be with him.
    Freedive training took its toll on her, and she screamed at her husband, 'I don't give a damn about records! You're all about records. I just like to dive.'
    She was his 4th wife (the first three ended in divorce).
    Several people accused her husband of her death by claiming he didn't fill the air tank for the lift balloon to take her to the surface properly, and didn't use enough safety divers.
    Lamenting on her death, Ferreras stated, 'It was blind ambition on my part, and blind devotion on hers.' (he wasn't charged with any wrongdoing)

Why she might not be annoying:

    She began swimming at age two and was a seasoned scuba diver by age 13.
    She was fluent in Spanish and English as well as French.
    Her fatal dive was supposed to take no more than 3 minutes, but she ended up underwater for 8½ minutes, and was dead by the time she arrived at a hospital.
    She was posthumously awarded the record because she reached the depth during a practice dive.
    She was inducted posthumously into the Women Divers Hall of Fame (2002).
    In 2005, bluegrass artist Lou Wamp released an instrumental tribute to her entitled 'Audrey's Last Dive.'
    In his book 'The Dive,' Ferreras accepts blame for the tragedy, stating 'In my heart and soul, I am responsible. It was my crew and my organization.'
    James Cameron is developing a movie based on the book.

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 53 Votes: 64.15% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 19 Votes: 68.42% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 35 Votes: 62.86% Annoying