More Than 200 Divers Have Died Trying To Cross The Arch

23/11/2020

The infamous Arch in Dahab has a fearsome reputation for a good reason. More than 200 divers have lost their lives out there in recent years, a number which could be even higher according to local divers. In 2017, a very experienced freediver, Stephen Keenan, aged 39, drowned while being a safety diver for Alessia Zecchini, as the latter was attempting to cross The Arch. Alessia became disoriented during her dive and Keenan went to her rescue. She managed to surface unharmed but Stephen blacked out. As a safety diver, he had all the credentials to manage this dive but unfortunately he did not.

The Arch is a 30m tunnel at 55m, connecting Dahab’s Blue Hole with the Red Sea and it is arguably one of the most dangerous diving spots in the world. Its nickname is the “divers’ cemetery”. In November 2020, French freediver Thibault Guignes, crossed The Arch - kicking his Alchemy V330 carbon fins - on a single breath.

Watch The Amazing Dive

The Complete Guide To Free Immersion