In developing this Report, a number of sources have been consulted.  Perhaps the most important is the detailed report of Kim McCoy. McCoy is a physical oceanographer and diver with decades of experience on and under the water and was present for Mestre’s final dive. He is affiliated with Ocean Sensors, which specializes in the design and manufacture of oceanographic and water-quality instrumentation. McCoy has observed and certified numerous world record free-dive attempts, and provides high resolution electronic data to measure the precise depth, velocity and duration of dives. The computer (OS500 D manufactured by Ocean Sensors), worn by Ms. Mestre during her final dive, provided ‘flight-recorder-like’ information. Neither McCoy nor Ocean Sensors are compensated in any way by the IAFD or Pipin Ferreras.  McCoy is involved in academic and environmental research and is the Marine Technology Society Chair for Oceanographic Instrumentation. 

McCoy gathered additional information from the Mares dive computer worn on Audrey’s wrist, the Aqualung dive computer on Audrey’s leg and several other Mares and UWATECs dive computers worn by various divers. Interviews with over a dozen people were conducted before and after the dive. Measurements were made of the descent and ascent fixtures including weights and volumes.  Finally, mathematical tools were applied to help explain certain processes. Historical records, videos and photographs from the many previous training and record dives from 1995 through 2002 also were referenced.  

An official autopsy was conducted in accordance with the laws of the Dominican Republic and concluded that the death was accidental.   This report relies on that autopsy as well as Kim McCoy’s report, and on interviews and observations conducted directly by the IAFD team. 

The conclusions reached by McCoy and the IAFD are very similar.  McCoy’s report is reproduced in its entirety as an attachment to this report.  In summary, the following conclusions were reached.  There was no single cause for the tragedy that befell Audrey Mestre.  Rather, many different factors, ranging from technology to ocean conditions, contributed to the events of October 12th.  One factor was the new, thinner diameter cable used in this dive.  This new cable was intended to minimize friction with the sled.  However, due to the reduced weight of the new cable combined with a different type of weight at the bottom, the cable was free to move to the side, an effect that was noted by Kim McCoy.  The full impact was not apparent during training dives because of excellent weather conditions.  On the date of the world record attempt, however, the weather was stormy and much windier than during the preceding two weeks of training.  While the waves on October 12th were not in and of themselves so problematic as to require a cancellation, they apparently exacerbated the movement of the cable, resulting in several starts and stops during the ascent.  One of these “stops” occurred at 164 meters, at which time the sled did not move up or down for approximately 30 seconds.

It was also discovered later that a Teflon bushing installed to reduce friction between the cable and the sled appears to have been damaged during a training dive.  An impact between the sled the support boat seems to have compromised the integrity of the Teflon bushing.   

Equally important was the fact that there seems to have been some drift sideways by the bottom weight.  Although a lead weight was used in most dives, on this occasion a concrete weight was used.  In addition, wings were fitted on the camera attached to the sled in order to keep the sled from rotating during descent.  The wings apparently created a lateral force, which continued as the sled descended further down the cable.  The combination of the lateral force created by the wings, the different density of the bottom weight, and the lower drag than usual cable combined to cause inadequate tension on the cable and additional drift of the bottom weight.  As a result, neither the descent nor the ascent was completely vertical, and the sled was forced to advance on a slight incline.  Mr. McCoy found that this incline caused some “hydrodynamic instabilities at low speeds”, which in turn led to a “braking” of the ascent bag on the slightly slack cable, exacerbated by surface wave heave movement. 

The autopsy was conducted by Dr. Danyd Moquete Mendez and Dr. Ana Falete Mercedes on October 13, 2002.  It is a matter of record in the Dominican Republic.  The autopsy report indicates that blood and urine samples were examined and that neither alcohol nor drugs were detected.  It notes that the lungs were found augmented or increased in size (which would not be uncommon for a well-trained free diver).  The conclusions are reproduced in their entirety in the original Spanish, with a translation, which follows. “Conlusion:  el deceso de la nacional francesa Audrey Anne Marie Mestre Ferreras, se debio a asifixia por submersion. MUERTE ACCIDENTAL.”     “Conclusion: the death of the French national Audrey Anne Marie Mestre Ferreras, occurred because of asphyxia by submersion.  ACCIDENTAL DEATH.” 

There was also a suggestion that the lift bag was inadequately inflated or leaked.  It appears that there was inadequate lift provided by the lift bag. One of the divers, in response to this observation, did successfully add some gas to the bag at the beginning of the ascent.  It is possible that the compressed air bottle used for lift bag inflation was not fully filled, but this factor alone would not have been responsible for all the difficulties encountered.  It is clear that there was some air in the compressed air bottle. The lift bag, upon inspection after the accident, did show a section of wear that could have been the cause of some leaking.  However, the amount of air that would have leaked would not have been sufficient to have significantly affected the ultimate performance of the sled.  The compressed air bottle did not show any signs of damage or leaking after the dive.