A freediver has posted online about his two mates drowning during a night dive on Great Barrier Island, saying they were pulled under by a suction current.
The bodies of Igor Petrenko and Gena Sibaev were recovered by police yesterday after one of the men failed to resurface, and the other dived in to try and help.
It was a night-time expedition among mates who set out to target crayfish.
The first diver to disappear in the darkness was 31-year-old Mr Petrenko.
A surviving member of the party posted online:
"We spotted his light in the water and after a min of watching it with no movement I dived in (sic)".
But without gear on, he was too buoyant to reach his mate. That's when Mr Sibaev suited up.
The post from the surviving member goes on to say as Mr Sibaev dived in to find his mate, he too disappeared and failed to resurface.
"Gena geared up and went in to take a look. After a few minutes of spotting, Gena went down, and as we watched, his torch started to spiral to the ocean floor"
Spearfishing New Zealand Chairman, Gary Conway, says freediving, especiallly at night, can be dangerous.
"Freediving is an incredible sport, but it comes with unforgiving outcomes."
The post also gives an insight into what may have trapped both men on the bottom.
It says: "Police divers said that the rock which Igor was diving in had a suction current and pulled both divers under."
But Mr Conway says there could have been other factors too.
"It's terrible. In the area where the tragedy has taken place there's lots of different types of weed down there," says Mr Conway.
"And night diving in a weedy area, you only have the visibility where the torch light is, so you could become tangled or disorientated very quickly."
It's believed the men had been freediving off the southern point of Great Barrier Island at Cecilia Sudden Bay.
Police were called about the missing divers just after midnight yesterday morning.
It's possible the men chose to dive in darkness, as crayfish are more subdued at night.
"Crayfish come out and feed at night and they're easy to pick up. They will be blinded by the torch night," says Mr Conway.
Freediving is all about holding your breath and does not involve the use of tanks, or any other device to assist with breathing.
But it's considered relatively safe and these are the first freediving deaths of the year.
Freediving New Zealand says the deceased did not belong to any registered freediving clubs.
The organisation says its thoughts are with the men's families, and reminds divers of the need for appropriate training.
Newshub.
