This is why swimmers disappear or lose track when they dive into the mysterious 'Blue Hole'

Swimming is a sport that is relaxing, as well as adventurous. However, getting into the waters to explore an abyss is not for the faint of heart. The Blue Hole in the Gulf of Aqaba is one of the challenges many divers take up but rarely accomplish. The popular diving spot in the Red Sea is notorious for endangering the lives of divers, as per Der Spiegel International. 

The underwater sinkholes can lead to an unending abyss or spooky caves or tunnels. It might sound interesting but there is a massive risk in venturing into one of these strange locations. There are several blue holes on this planet but the one in the Gulf of Aqaba has earned the reputation of being the “deadliest." The 120-meter-deep hole is termed a “Diver’s Cemetery” because some scary unknown conditions have claimed the lives of around 200 divers here. 

Tarek Omar, one of the rescuers at the Blue Hole, says that he has lost count of the number of divers or bodies he has found so far. Sharing a possible scenario of what goes on in the raging depths, he recalls the time he retrieved the bodies of two divers. "I found the bodies at a depth of 102 meters (approx 335 feet). They were holding each other in an embrace. This is how it must have happened: one of them had problems and kept sinking deeper down. The other wanted to help him. And then both of them lost consciousness,” he assumes. Being one of the few people to dive into the deadly sinkhole and make it back, Omar says diving in is not hard but it is excruciating to get out. 

He added that because the waters are pretty clear and warm, many are tempted to dive into the depths. However, for safety, the Egyptian association doesn’t permit divers to go beyond 40 meters with compressed air. But divers find their way through to adjust to the pressure. They believe that every 10 meters of diving into the hole is equivalent to consuming a martini. Hence, beginners are shattered by the end of 30 meters. The actual term for this condition is nitrogen narcosis. Divers get in with all the preparations possible but as they dive deeper, the more nitrogen narcosis affects them as gases become denser under pressure. It enters their bloodstream, causing them to lose judgment and have other repercussions. 

But as it happens in the case of drinking, one can often become immune to the effects of nitrogen narcosis with experience. However, the deeper they get, the harsher the toxins and pressure. Due to dizziness, delusions and other factors, divers eventually become unconscious, succumbing to the underwater. Omar has seen the backbreaking work required to get to the Blue Hole and come out and has taken upon himself the “mission” to rescue and bring back as many divers as he can.