Deep Water | Tortoise Investigates
Episode 5: Click Bait
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Lydia Gard, The Observer
Episode Overview
This episode of Deep Water delves into the explosive impact of a viral freediving video that exposes both the physical risks and cultural fault lines of the sport. Host Lydia Gard investigates the fallout as the freediving community grapples with the glorification of dangerous stunts, heated social media debate, and the unresolved spectre of doping. The episode explores who gets to define the culture, standards, and ethics of freediving—and what happens when the race for depth collides with the hunger for online attention.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Viral Video: A Shock to the Community
- [02:23] Sam Zenofou (Greek pool and depth diver) recounts being disturbed by a viral Instagram reel of freediver Petar Klover surfacing with a lung injury:
“I saw Petar coming up from a deep dive. There's a lot of frothing, bloody frothing, coming out of his mouth. He is, like, in a very bad state after the deep dive. He obviously hurt himself diving.” — Sam Zenofou [03:17]
- The video, posted by Petar and coach Witomir Maricic, shows a dramatic incident involving a “deep blackout” and “lung squeeze”—serious dangers in freediving.
- The clip is edited for maximum impact, set to dramatic music, and framed with hashtags like #pushinglimits and #lifeontheedge.
“It was a glorification of pushing to get better. You have to almost kill yourself.” — Sam Zenofou [05:32]
Debate Erupts: Glorification vs. Cautionary Tales
- The reel attracts over 7 million views, turns viral in the freediving world, and ignites passionate debate over whether risks are being promoted—or irresponsibly glamorized.
- Sam expresses a desire for honesty about risk, but condemns the way the video frames suffering as heroism rather than a caution:
“If that video had a different narrative, I would have used it to show everybody and say, look, fair play. … But that wasn’t the case.” — Sam Zenofou [05:32]
- The host echoes discomfort at the tone, noting:
“It’s a brazen, unashamed portrayal of serious injuries, with [Maricic] as coach and safety diver. … In the words of one person, it’s like a pyromaniac addicted to the destruction of what others have built.” — Lydia Gard [08:21]
Social Media’s Impact on Freediving Culture
- Social media has created “echo chambers” that reward spectacle over safety, allowing risky behaviors to gain rapid traction and influence.
“Let’s face it, with social media anything bad will attract possibly a lot more followers than anything good. … Why shouldn’t it happen at freediving?” — Sam Zenofou [11:58]
- The viral video and follow-up posts (including images of other sports injuries) reflect a broader trend: “Playing up to the line” and building an online brand by flirting with danger.
Safety vs. Spectacle: Diverging Philosophies
- Lydia explores whether the intent of such videos is educational—to teach about the real dangers—or simply sensationalist clickbait.
- A community divide is mapped:
- Supporters say it’s about “pushing limits” and transparency about the risks.
- Critics argue it’s dangerous hero-worship that sets a harmful example, especially for young or inexperienced divers.
“Anyone can dive like that, with complete disregard of safety of others and themselves.” — Sam Zenofou [11:05]
- The episode draws poignant parallels to viral risky behaviors in other sports, reminding listeners of tragic real-world consequences ([12:17]).
Medical Insight: The Realities of Lung Injuries
- [16:36] Dr. Fernando “Bezo” Silva (emergency doctor and freediver) responds to the video with dismay:
“I started watching the video and I saw the blood and I turned it off. I was a bit outraged, you know.” — Bezo [16:36]
- Bezo, despite friendship with Vitamir, cannot defend the normalisation of lung squeezes:
“Once you start to have blood, blood is inflammatory, blood is going to cause fibrotic tissue. … Squeezing should never be a part of considered normal progression in freediving. I don’t agree with that.” — Bezo [18:37]
- Bezo describes repeated incidents—even at top competitions—highlighting the frequency and severity of blackouts and squeezes at the elite level:
“On the first day, there were eight blackouts and I think five squeezes, three were pretty bad squeezes.” — Bezo [20:56]
The Doping Divide: Science, Safety, and Stalemate
- [23:10] Nenad Dikic (ADA anti-doping officer) describes ongoing research into benzodiazepine (“benzo”) use in competition—both for safety and fairness.
“Nobody's protecting athletes. Who is protecting athletes? … The main role is to take care about athletes. Nobody’s taking care about them.” — Nenad Dikic [23:53]
- Despite evidence of ongoing rumors and first-hand accounts, Nenad downplays the prevalence or impact of doping in freediving.
- He challenges the anecdotal evidence presented by the host:
“I'm listening [to] that stories for last, I don't know, 25 years… there is no possibility to prove that allegation and something that is coming again from social networks.” — Nenad Dikic [27:44]
- Lydia counters, stressing the pattern emerging from multiple, corroborated testimonies—emphasising the journalist’s role in surfacing uncomfortable truths.
Science Lags Behind: Evidence Gaps and Ethical Barriers
- Both medical and anti-doping experts highlight the core issue: there is little rigorous scientific research about the long-term risks of lung squeezes and the use of medications like benzodiazepines in freediving, often because such studies would pose ethical and logistical challenges.
“How even would we do research with the dangers of benzodiazepines… [that] are gonna throw people to 120 meters on benzos?” — Bezo [22:21]
- ADA’s testing is ongoing and anonymous, meaning patterns may be harder to track and definitive conclusions are elusive.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- [03:17] “I saw Petar coming up … there’s a lot of frothing, bloody frothing, coming out of his mouth. He is, like, in a very bad state after the deep dive.” — Sam Zenofou
- [05:32] “It was a glorification of pushing to get better. You have to almost kill yourself.” — Sam Zenofou
- [11:05] “Anyone can dive like that, with complete disregard of safety of others and themselves.” — Sam Zenofou
- [18:37] “Once you start to have blood, blood is inflammatory, blood is going to cause fibrotic tissue. … Squeezing should never be a part of considered normal progression in freediving.” — Bezo
- [23:53] “Nobody’s protecting athletes. Who is protecting athletes? … The main role is to take care about athletes. Nobody’s taking care about them.” — Nenad Dikic
- [27:44] “I’m listening [to] that stories for last, I don’t know, 25 years … there is no possibility to prove that allegation and something that is coming again from social networks.” — Nenad Dikic
Important Timestamps
- 02:23-06:16 — Sam Zenofou’s reaction to the viral clip and her critique of its glorification of suffering
- 06:16-08:53 — The spread of the reel, community response, and the lingering impact of previous scandals
- 11:05-12:37 — The broader dangers of risky content and its effect on young athletes and social perceptions
- 16:36-20:56 — Dr. Bezo Silva’s expert medical commentary on lung squeezes and competition dangers
- 23:10-29:09 — Interview with Nenad Dikic, revealing the complicated, politicized, and sometimes contradictory state of anti-doping efforts in freediving
- 31:58 — Preview of coming confrontations with the core figures at the center of the ongoing controversy
Conclusion & Next Steps
The episode leaves listeners poised for the series climax, as the freediving world stands at a crossroads between integrity, safety, and spectacle. The key players teased—Witomir, Petar, and Sander—may hold the final answers to whether freediving can reconcile its daredevil image with a commitment to athlete wellbeing and fairness.
For listeners new and returning, this episode offers a powerful window into how danger, ambition, and controversy intersect in a sport—and the vital role of storytelling in challenging its myths.