Herbert Nitsch

About Herbert Nitsch

Herbert Nitsch is the current freediving world record holder and “the Deepest Man on Earth”. This prestigious title was given to him when he then set the world

record for freediving at an incredible depth of 214 meters (702 feet) in 2007 in

the No Limit discipline. He surpassed this world record with a No Limit dive to

253.2m/830.8ft in 2012.

On June 6th, 2012, Herbert surpassed his own record with a No Limit dive to

253.2 meters (830.8 feet). During the dive, well after having reached the planned

depth, Herbert fell asleep due to nitrogen narcosis. Before reaching the surface,

the sled automatically stopped at 10m/33ft. Because he did not react, safety

divers took Herbert off the sled and subsequently woke him back up. This is

clearly seen on video when Herbert grabbed the rope right above the sled.

Because he missed the planned one-minute underwater decompression stop,

Herbert suffered from severe decompression sickness (DCS-type 2) resulting in

multiple brain-strokes. With a prognosis of remaining a “wheelchair-bound caredependent

patient”, he dismissed himself from longterm facilitated care, and took

his healing into his own hands. Two years later, against all odds, Herbert is

training and deep-freediving again.

High safety standards and detailed planning are always part of every dive Herbert

makes. Herbert was an airline Captain for the Austrian Airlines Group for 15

years, a profession where check-lists and worst case scenarios were on his daily

schedule.