Chilling diver's helmet cam footage captures final moments in underwater sinkhole

A harrowing video has captured the spine-chilling last moments of a diver before his untimely demise at a notorious diving spot, despite clear warnings about the perilous nature of his actions.

On April 28, 2000, Russian-Israeli diver Yuri Lipski descended into the abyss of the Blue Hole in the Red Sea, Egypt, never to emerge again.

It is believed that Lipski succumbed nearly 300 feet underwater, where the crushing pressure likely caused nitrogen narcosis. This condition, induced by breathing gases at depth, can result in feelings of elation, bewilderment, hallucinations, and compromised decision-making.

In spite of the catastrophic outcome, Lipski's helmet camera was retrieved unscathed, providing a ghostly glimpse into his final moments, as reported by the Daily Star.

The video shows the ocean floor's rocks while the haunting sound of Lipski's breathing resonates. He had intended to film the Blue Hole arch, according to Tarek Omar, a technical diver who had met Lipski in Egypt prior to the ill-fated dive, reports .

Omar, known as 'The Elder Diver', had cautioned against the lone, unprepared dive. "I said 'OK, so you'll need two weeks' training with me first, and then we'll film'," Omar recounted to The Guardian.

However, constrained by time with just a weekend available, Lipski turned down the training and proceeded to dive alone. His body was recovered the following morning.

The Blue Hole, a submarine sinkhole that attracts divers from around the world, is infamous for its treacherous conditions, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 200 individuals may have lost their lives there.

"Recovering bodies is a case-by-case thing; I do it pro bono," Omar told Scene Arabia. "It is a very critical and difficult task - it necessitates more than just being a technical diver, it requires beyond experience. Diving deep and staying down to locate the remains is exceptionally challenging."

The notorious Blue Hole is said to have claimed as many as 200 lives. The site is extremely popular among scuba enthusiasts, known for its submarine sinkhole that plummets precipitously near the coastline.

With depths reaching about 100 metres at its profoundest point, and possessing two oceanic channels, it presents an irresistible yet treacherous destination for adventurous divers worldwide.

For Omar, however, this famed location is almost second nature.

"I know it like my kitchen," he told Cairo Scene. He reminisces on his earliest of the many "missions" he refers to.

With nearly two decades of diving in the Blue Hole, he once even clinched the title for a record-setting 209-metre dive.