A routine freedive to a shipwreck off North Carolina nearly turned deadly when Katie suddenly lost consciousness during her ascent. She had descended to around 66 feet before taking a longer shot at a fish and beginning her return to the surface. Just below the surface, she suffered a shallow water blackout and stopped responding. Fortunately, her boyfriend was already watching closely and recognized that her movements were abnormal before she could even signal for help. He immediately descended toward her, with another dive buddy also joining the rescue.
Katie believes a combination of rough conditions, time spent at depth, and an elevated heart rate may have contributed to the blackout. Shallow water blackout can occur during the final part of a breath-hold dive, making the ascent a particularly dangerous stage of a freedive. The incident has changed how Katie and her dive partners approach the sport, reinforcing the importance of close supervision and never diving alone. Her experience is a powerful reminder that even experienced freedivers can lose consciousness with little warning.
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