Story of the Week The ultimate sacrifice to save another

November 3, 2026

Discover Stephen Keenan’s ultimate sacrifice in a diving tragedy.

This is a story of ultimate sacrifice made by Stephen Keenan to save another in most unusual circumstances.

I have a framed photograph hanging above my desk of a diver underwater helping another. It’s 2017 and the diver helping is Stephen Keenan and the one needing assistance is free diver Alessia Zecchini.

Free diving is one of those sports that most would think why do it? On a single breath, without the use of breathing apparatus, relying solely on breath-holding and the body’s natural ability to manage oxygen, a diver descends following a guideline to which they are clipped.

When a free diver ascends too quickly, it can lead to decompression sickness, also known as “the bends.” This condition occurs when dissolved gases in the body, primarily nitrogen, form bubbles as the pressure decreases rapidly. Symptoms can range from mild joint pain and skin rashes to severe cases affecting the nervous system, lungs, and other vital organs.

Free divers need safety divers who again on a single breath descend to around 10, 20 and 30 metres from the surface when they know a free diver is close to completing their ascension. There is a real danger that a free diver may suffer a blackout because of a lack of oxygen. Typically, one diver seals the airwaves of the free diver, and another grabs their hips and together they take them to the surface to be resuscitated.

Stephen Keenan was one of the best safety divers who had successfully rescued Alexey Molchanov from a depth of 40 metres while putting himself in mortal danger.  

Alessia Zecchini holds over 35 records for free diving and has won 16 gold medals at the World Championships. In 2013, she set a world record by diving to −81 metres. Her journey continued in 2018 at the Vertical Blue competition, where she broke four world records.

She made history in Roatan 2019 by diving to −113 metres in Constant Weight with Monofin. In 2019, she became the first woman to dive to −100 metres with her arms only.

Keenan and Zecchini fell in love and he became her principal safety diver. A safety diver does more than just assist with the ascension. They offer advice on the dive, monitor the conditions and the dive ready to intervene if ever a situation arises. One of their most important roles is to provide support and reassurance prior to a dive which is how Keenan and Zecchini became so close.

The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is nicknamed “the diver’s cemetery” and it’s reported that 200 divers have died making the dive. Below 56 metres, the sea wall stops, revealing a cavernous, 26-metre-long tunnel from the Blue Hole to the open ocean.

For Zecchini this would be considered a recreational dive, even though conditions on the day were not ideal raising the likelihood of strong currents which could have pushed her off course.

The plan was that Keenan would meet her at the end of tunnel with the rope for the 50 metres ascend. Timing was crucial and that’s where the dive went wrong. Zecchini emerged from the tunnel 10 seconds sooner than expected, meanwhile Keenan started his free dive 20 seconds late because his heart was beating too fast for a safe breath hold.

When Zecchini emerged from the tunnel with no sign of Keenan, she paddled away in search of the rope, so that when Keenan spotted her, he rushed after her. When he finally reached her, he was apparently running low on oxygen, exhausted, and near a complete blackout, yet he still grabbed both her hands to push her straight to the surface. That’s where they both lost consciousness, but the difference was she was face-up while he was not, and no one else was around to immediately help – mere seconds could’ve made a difference. It turns out Keenan’s last act was reportedly to ensure his girlfriend floated right side up.

Keenan was recovered face down and could not be revived despite rescue attempts.

The story of Zecchini and Keenan has been told in a remarkable Netflix documentary – The Deepest Breath. Well worth watching because it is an extraordinary tale.

Zecchini participated in the documentary and wrote:

“The only reason I agreed to be a part of it is to let the world know what a wonderful and special person he was, so that even those who don’t know what freediving is can appreciate his immense humanity.”

Keenan made an ultimate sacrifice and probably knew during the rescue that he might not survive as he fulfilled his role as a safety diver.