Much-loved Dublin diver dies off Egypt
A POPULAR freediver from Dublin has died after passing out while on a dive in Egypt.
Stephen Keenan was believed to be providing safety cover for a female freediver who was trying to dive the arch of the Dahab Blue Hole when he lost consciousness while underwater.
The arch is a 85ft long tunnel on the coast of the Red Sea and has a depth of 184ft. It is seen as a challenge due to its depth and requirement to swim for a substantial distance through it.
Mr Keenan was the co-owner of Dahab Freedivers, a freediving centre in the central bay of Dahab, and was the chief safety officer for several freediving competitions.
The 39-year-old had been active in the freediving community since
‘Totally committed to the sport’
2009 when he discovered the sport in Dahab.
He went on to set up Dahab Freedivers – one of the world’s best-known freedive schools – along with Pascal Berger and Miguel Lozano.
Mr Keenan also set a number of Irish national freedive records.
He was an AIDA, PADI and EFR instructor trainer and taught and coached hundreds of divers in Egypt, Spain, and the Philippines. Stephen Whelan, founder of DeeperBlue.com, a diving website, wrote that Mr Keenan ‘was probably best known for his role as chief of safety for a number of the Vertical Blue freediving competitions, as well as regularly providing safety at freediving competitions across the world’.
Friends of Mr Keenan also posted a number of tributes to him on Facebook, while many changed their profile picture to the black and white logo of his diving school.
Olivier Server wrote: ‘An honest, hard-working, passionate guy, totally committed to sharing an unrivalled sport.
‘We all lose a friend, an interested blue look, a bright smile, an incomprehensible Irish accent.
‘Stephen Keenan, thank you for taking care of me and everyone at Dahab Freedivers and Dahab. Thank you for your sense of abnegation, it means a lot for all. Rest in peace my friend.’
Another friend, Sheila Hanney, added: ‘You wake up and it’s still true, a truly horrible day to live thru, Dahab is lost today, one thing for sure Stephen Keenan you will be truly missed, so many friends here and round the globe, you gave me your precious time last week to support Sea Shepherd. Thank you for everything.’
The Red Sea resort, on the east coast of the Sinai Peninsula, is hugely popular among divers.
The Blue Hole is a diving spot that has claimed the lives of 130 people over the last 15 years.