Display MoreIt was a Variable Weight dive which is not a competition discipline-- only for records. He did it at the end of the competition.
In regards to the counter ballast and lanyards; the diver is on sonar and observed from the platform crew. If there is a problem the counter ballast is enacted and the diver is pulled up. Like everything, the system is not perfect but so far so good in competitions. There are a team of safety divers. The deep safety meets the diver at 30m on their ascent and the second safety comes in at 20m. In the case with Walter; the safetys waited for over 1:30 as Walt was late. It was scary but it all worked out and Walter was fine. He did stay on O2 for sometime after the dive for recovery purposes.
Here is a good article from the NY Times about the comp. I was interviewed but I guess too dull to make the news!
I didn't know they used sonar, very neat.
Too dull....You should have gotten brain surgery 5 months beforehand, then you'd make the news!