Natalia Molchanova, Free Diver, Disappears After Recreational Descent

One of the world's most recognizable and accomplished free divers is feared dead, as Natalia Molchanova disappeared Sunday during what was supposed to be a routine dive off the coast of Spain.

According to Adam Skolnick of the New York Times, the 53-year-old Russian never surfaced after diving into the Balearic Sea. Although search teams have vigorously attempted to find some sign of the 23-time world champion, they have been unsuccessful thus far.

Kimmo Lahtinen, who is the president of the free diving governing body AIDA, expressed disbelief with regard to Molchanova's disappearance, per Skolnick.

"She was a free-diving superstar, and we all thought nothing could harm her," Lahtinen said. "Nothing could happen to her, but, you know, we are playing with the ocean, and when you play with the ocean, you know who is the strongest one."

Lahtinen wasn't the only one who reacted to the vanishing of the woman who holds a remarkable 41 free-diving world records. Fellow free-diving star William Trubridge paid Molchanova the ultimate compliment on Twitter:

Competitive free diver Ben Noble was left shocked and saddened by the incident as well:

Molchanova's family also released a statement highlighting her love for the sport of free diving, courtesy of CNN:

According to CNN's Tiffany Ap, Molchanova once dove to a depth of 331 feet and held her breath underwater for more than nine minutes, which makes her disappearance all the more vexing.

Regardless of whether the mystery surrounding Molchanova will ever be solved, her legacy as an all-time great free diver is firmly cemented, and she will forever be remembered by those who follow and take part in the sport.

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