James Stephen Keenan
Born (1977-12-01) December 1, 1977 (age 46)
Glasnevin
DiedJuly 22, 2017(2017-07-22) (aged 39)
Dahab, Egypt
NationalityIrish
Alma materTrinity College
Known forSafety diver

James Stephen Keenan (December 1, 1977-July 22, 2017) was an Irish safety diver and co-owner at Dahab Freedivers.[1] He held several Irish national freediving records[2][3] and known as a Chief of Society at various freediving events and organizations such as Vertical Blue Freediving Competitions.[4][5]

Keenan died during an rescue in an attempt to assist freediver Alessia Zecchini to the surface from a depth of 50 meters in Dahab's Blue Hole in 2017.[6] The loss of his life was the first recorded death of a safety diver in action in freediving history.[2]

Biography

Stephen 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]

He fell in love with freediving while he was vacationing in Dahab, Egypt in 2009. Within a few years, Keenan 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 two friends: Spain’s Miguel Lozano, one of the deepest freedivers, and Swiss freediver Pascal Berger.[4] That same year, he attained his career-best dive with a monofin to 81 meters (267 feet).[2]

The tragic event

On July 22, 2017,[10] according to The Guardian, "Keenan, aged 39,[3] drowned while overseeing a dive by the freediving world record holder Alessia Zecchini. While attempting to cross the arch of the Red Sea’s notorious Blue Hole using only a single breath, the 25-year-old Italian became disoriented. Keenan rushed to her aid and guided her to the surface. She made it out unharmed but he blacked out and was found floating face down some distance away."[6][11] Despite repeated attempts to save his life, Keenan 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

The Deepest Breath is a 2023 documentary directed by Laura McGann. The film tells the story of two freedivers, Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan.[12] It covers their relationship, careers in the sport, and the tragic event on that fateful day in Dahab, Egypt, in 2017.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Stephen Keenan". Guide Irlande.com. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c Oraby, Mahmoud (2017-07-28). "Stephen Keenan: hero 'till the last breath'". EgyptToday. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d Martin, Laura (2023-07-17). "'The Deepest Breath': What Happened to Diver Stephen Keenan?". Esquire. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  7. ^ Andrukajtis, Tomasz (2017-07-23). "Freediver Stephen Keenan Died While Diving In Dahab - DIVERS24.COM". Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "AIDA | News". www.aidainternational.org. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
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