Stephen Keenan (1 December 1977 – 22 July 2017) was an Irish freediving safety diver and co-owner at Dahab Freedivers.[1] He held several Irish national freediving records[2][3] and was a Chief of Safety at various freediving events such as Vertical Blue Freediving Competitions.[4][5]
Stephen Keenan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 December 1977 Glasnevin, Ireland |
| Died | 22 July 2017 (aged 39) Dahab, Egypt |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | Trinity College |
| Known for | Safety diver |
Keenan died during a rescue in an attempt to assist freediver Alessia Zecchini to the surface from a depth of 50 metres in Dahab's Blue Hole in 2017.[6] It was the first recorded death of a safety diver in action in freediving history.[2]
Biography
editStephen Keenan was born and raised in Glasnevin, near Dublin,[6] Ireland. He had studied microbiology at Trinity College, but had lived for about eight years in Egypt,[3][7] where he was a freedive instructor.[8]
Keenan discovered freediving while he was holidaying in Dahab, Egypt in 2009. He later relocated to Dahab, became a freediving instructor, and trained hundreds of students in Egypt, Spain, and the Philippines.[9] In 2015, Keenan co-founded Dahab Freedivers with fellow freedivers Miguel Lozano and Pascal Berger.[4] That same year, he attained his career-best dive with a monofin to 81 metres (267 feet).[2]
Death
editOn 22 July 2017,[10] Keenan died while assisting a dive by Alessia Zecchini. Zecchini was attempting to cross the Blue Hole on a single breath, but became disorientated when Keenan was 20 seconds late to arrive at a meeting point. She swam astray but reached the surface after Keenan reached her to resume guiding. Keenan, though, lost consciousness and was found floating face down nearby.[3][6][11] Despite repeated attempts to save his life, he could not be revived.[2]
According to the Irish Independent, "Keenan suffered an in-water blackout in the last 10 meters of the ascent.[5] He was alive when he was recovered from the water but died a short time later."[8]
The Deepest Breath
editThe Deepest Breath is a 2023 documentary directed by Laura McGann. The film tells the story of Alessia Zecchini and Keenan,[12] covering their relationship, careers in the sport, and Keenan's death.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Stephen Keenan". Guide Irlande.com. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b c d Skolnick, Adam (2017-07-25). "Safety Diver Stephen Keenan Dies During Rescue in Dahab's Blue Hole". Outside Online. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b c Oraby, Mahmoud (2017-07-28). "Stephen Keenan: hero 'till the last breath'". EgyptToday. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b Whelan, Stephan (2017-07-22). "Chief Of Safety Stephen Keenan Hailed Hero As He Dies While Saving Fellow Freediver". www.deeperblue.com. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ a b "Dublin man who drowned off coast of Egypt while saving woman's life, named locally". Irish Examiner. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b c d Martin, Laura (2023-07-17). "'The Deepest Breath': What Happened to Diver Stephen Keenan?". Esquire. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Andrukajtis, Tomasz (2017-07-23). "Freediver Stephen Keenan Died While Diving In Dahab - DIVERS24.COM". Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b Feehan, Conor (2017-07-25). "Family of Dublin man who died freediving in Egypt had just marked mother's death". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Duffy, Rónán (2017-07-23). "'A hero until the end' - Tributes paid to renowned Irish diver who died while helping another diver". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "AIDA | News". www.aidainternational.org. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Bower, Edmund (2017-08-26). "Top diver's death casts long shadow over deep beauty of the Blue Hole". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Blake, Meredith (2023-07-24). "In the underwater tragedy of Netflix's 'Deepest Breath,' the appeal of the deep explained". The Brunswick News. Retrieved 2023-10-27.