Audrey Mestre: Spouse, Career & Net Worth
Audrey Mestre was a professional French freediver who set a female world record by diving to a depth of 130 m in a single breath.
Unfortunately, in 2002, she died throughout a training dive of 171 m.
Audrey Mestre was also a well-known marine biologist in France. The freediver has been included in the list of notable persons.
Audrey Mestre was among the wealthiest divers in the world, having been born in France. She was also a member of the rank of the Most Popular Divers.
With the potential casting of Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence in the leading actress role, the film adaptation of The Dive, the tale of “love and obsession” between freedivers Pipin Ferreras and Audrey Mestre, had been made.
The movie, which was supposed to be directed by James Cameron, was filmed by Hunger Games filmmaker Francis Lawrence.
The movie focused on the Death of Audrey Mestre while trying to break a No-Limits Freediving record in the Dominican Republic in October 2002.
The ESPN documentary “No Limits” is also about the diver. The film was resealed in 2010.
In the article, we have mentioned detailed information about Audrey Mestre.
Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts about Audrey Mestre:
| Name | Audrey Mestre |
| Birth Date | August 11, 1974 |
| Birth Place | Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France |
| Died | October 12, 2002 |
| Gender | Female |
| Nationality | French |
| Died place | Bayahibe, Dominican Republic |
| Age | 28 years old (at the time of death) |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Height | 5 ft 8 inches |
| Weight | 60kg (132.27 pounds) |
| Profession | Professional freediver, marine biologist |
| Hair Color | Golden |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Source of income | Primary income source diver (profession) |
| Education | Micro Biology at a university in La Paz, Mexico |
| Parents | Anne-Marie Mestre, Jean Pierre Mestre |
| Movie | The Dive (Star: Jennifer Lawrence) |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Siblings | Béatrice Mestre |
| Spouse name | Francisco Rodriguez aka. Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Last Updated | April, 2024 |
Audrey Mestre: Early Life, Family, and Education
Early Life
Mestre was raised in a family of snorkeling and scuba diving lovers in Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris. Audrey Mestre’s grandpa sparked her interest in diving when she was just a kid.
She usually went diving with him in southern France. Then, during the wintertime, he would take her to swimming training.
Then, throughout the summer, they would seek shelter in the Mediterranean Sea.
The diver got her first gold medal in a 25-meter swimming competition when she was just two years old. Her grandpa claimed that she was good at diving because of her large feet.
For using fins, she was almost eliminated from the event. Nevertheless, she was an experienced scuba diver by the age of 13.
But because of French regulations, she did not obtain full certification till she was 16.
Family
Audrey Mestre was raised by her mother, Anne-Marie Mestre, and her dad, Jean Pierre Mestre.
Béatrice Mestre, her only sister, was very closest to her. Her family relocated to Mexico City in 1990.
Education
Audrey Mestre chose marine biology as her professional life after becoming proficient in the Spanish language.
Her devotion, love, and fascination for the sea led her to La Paz University near the Sea of Cortez in Baja, California, Mexico.
Audrey Mestre was eighteen years old at the time, and she was leaving her parents to pursue a new passion. She decided to explain the “Blood Shift” phenomena in her thesis.
She’d just finished reading an article on the topic in which the guinea pig was Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras, the titleholder freediver. So Audrey Mestre began her research on Pipin.
The diver was fascinated by him and wanted to learn all about him. So she collected all available information from publications, tests, books, and recordings.
Her main concern at the moment was recreating the fourteen atmospheres of pressure he could withstand at the depths he used to dive. She completed her thesis after eight months of hard labor.
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Audrey Mestre: Age, Height, and Weight
Audrey Mestre, who was 28 years old at the time of her death, died on October 12, 2002. Her height was 5 ft 8inches (172.72cm).
She was in good shape and weighed 60 kilograms (132.27 pounds).
Audrey Mestre: Career
Pipín trained Audrey Mestre. In her inaugural dive, she set the women’s record in 1997, which required her to dive eighty meters (262 feet).
She was considered the new Pipín Ferreras. Her record was preceded by three world titles: 115 meters in 1998, 125 meters in 2000, and 130 meters in 2001.
She broke Tanya Streeter’s record. Tanya’s dive was 113 meters (370 feet). However, Tanya managed to pass through it.
She became an instant celebrity and attracted many sponsorship deals.
In May of 2000, Audrey dived 125 m (411 ft). She felt happy with her achievements, but she blacked out.
However, Mestre’s Dive wouldn’t even have qualified, but Pipín made it count. She had broken the previous record.
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Audrey Mestre: Death
Mestre died in an early effort in October 2002 to beat Tanya Streeter’s 160-meter no-limits world record in freediving that she had established a few weeks prior on the 17th.
Audrey and a diving group led by her spouse completed a test dive to 166 m off Bayahibe Beach in the Dominican Republic on October 4, 2002.
She planned for a dive to 171 meters on October 12 after more deep diving sessions.
When she approached 171 meters, there was no air in the tank. That was too late when her spouse donned diving equipment, dived down, and brought her to the top.
Unfortunately, Audrey Mestre was confirmed dead in a shore hospital.
The dive was problematic, and the arrangement was highly criticized since it did not fulfill specific freediving safety regulations.
Controversy
Her spouse Ferreras had been a focus of many of the diving society.
They hurried a less funded enterprise to try a record scheduled for a future date, especially with few security divers, inadequate emergency supplies, and no medics at sea or onshore.
Ferreras was in charge of Mestre’s lift bag air tank and wouldn’t let anybody else on the crew touch it.
As a result, Mestre was not brought to the surface for 9 minutes after her dive.
She had a heartbeat on the top, but no physicians were available for the treatment, and minutes were lost trying to revive her in the sea by Ferreras.
The conspiracies about her death were that Pipín Ferreras murdered Audrey.
Moreover, it was rumored that Pipín was trying to save her by being heroic, but he was too late.
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After Death
Alison Ellwood wrote and produced an ESPN documentary on the occurrence in 2013, including live camera footage of the event and interactions with team members and staff.
In 2002, she was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame unexpectedly.
Audrey Mestre’s remains were dispersed in the sea after cremation.
In August 2004, her spouse released The Dive: A Story of Love and Obsession (ISBN 0-06-056416.), a biography about her life.
In addition, Mestre’s life and work are also documented as part of ESPN’s No Limits series Nine for IX in 2013.
Audrey Mestre: Spouse and Kids
Her passion for aquatic sports led her to meet freediver Francisco “Pipín” Ferreras in 1996.
After they quickly met and fell in love, Mestre relocated to Miami, Florida.
She began severe freediving, and with Ferreras as her coach, she quickly set new depth records. Two diving enthusiasts wedded in 1999.
Francisco Rodriguez, often recognized as Francisco ‘Pipin’ Ferrerasis, is a Cuban free diver best recognized for his deep freediving performances.
Francisco Rodriguez has set out several IAFD records totaling 21 certified world records and 41 total world records over his profession.
After Audrey’s departure, Ferreras wrote the dive, which was ghost-written by Linda Robertson. Ferreras’ most recent world record dive occurred in 2003 when he dived 171 m.
He declined to go any further because he only wished to meet his deceased wife’s (Audrey Mestre) final and deepest dive in her remembrance.
Audrey Mestre: Net Worth
Audrey Mestre had an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. She was one of the wealthiest divers in the world.
Moreover, her primary profession as a diver had brought her a lot of wealth.
Audrey Mestre: Social Media Presence
Sadly, Audrey Mestre died before the internet and social media era. However, her fans still share her photos on different social media platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Audrey Mestre?
Mestre died in an early effort in October 2002 to beat Tanya Streeter’s 160-meter no-limits freediving world record.
Moreover, Tany set the record a few weeks before, on August 17, 2002 (at the moment, this was both men’s and women’s recognized AIDA record).
How deep did Audrey Mestre die diving?
Audrey was attempting to beat Tany’s record with the help of her spouse, Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras.
Moreover, Tany’s record dive was 160 meters, which she set on 17th August of 2002.
