Saving lives on a single breath: how ‘safeties’ like me allow freedivers to take part in high-stakes competitions

Most of the time safety divers do not need to step in, but our presence gives athletes the security needed for their remarkable underwater feats

Photography and videos by Piko Studios and Jack Lawes for the Guardian

Things started to go wrong as Gary McGrath was coming up from 95 metres below the surface, a feat managed entirely on one breath. McGrath, who holds the British freediving record of 112 metres, was met on his ascent by a team of safety divers who quickly noticed he was struggling as his movements started to slow. Then he stopped rising.

Protocols designed for such emergencies instantly came into play. One diver sealed Gary's airways while another grabbed his hips, bringing him to the surface together, all while holding their breaths, too.

Gary McGrath in Dahab, on Egypt's Sinai peninsula. He holds the British record after freediving to 112 metres