A diver recounted a harrowing experience in which she almost lost her life after being swept through an iceberg in Antarctica. Jill Heinerth, a 60-year-old Canadian diver, described the incident as a “three-hour fight for survival.” In an interview with PEOPLE, Heinerth—whose dives feature in the documentary Diving into the Darkness—shared how she, her former husband Paul Heinerth, and the late cameraman Wes Skiles faced powerful currents and freezing conditions during the last dive of their trip.
The team had been exploring a massive iceberg to “intercept the largest iceberg in recorded history,” but things quickly took a dangerous turn.
Early dives were “chaotic,” and Heinerth realized she missed an important warning sign. “The seafloor was carpeted with yellow and red filter-feeding organisms, anchored by strong currents,” she said. “It should have been an ‘A-ha’ moment that something unusual was happening.”
On their final dive, conditions worsened as the current surged. “When they say your life flashes before your eyes, it doesn’t,” she recalled. “You have scattered thoughts before focusing solely on survival. I couldn’t find a way out, only steps to keep going.”
Facing the strong current, Heinerth asked Skiles to detach his camera. “Pushing a rebreather to its limits can be dangerous,” she explained. “If it fails to filter out carbon dioxide, you could pass out. A double rescue would have been catastrophic.”
With no help available, Heinerth took charge, guiding the team to safety. As the current swept them, she noticed small fish burrowed into the iceberg’s wall, which gave her an idea. Using the fish holes for grip, she climbed upwards.
The team eventually surfaced, though the risk remained. “Once you reach the surface, the cold and wind can freeze tissue instantly, especially when trying to board the boat,” she noted.
Thankfully, the group survived, and Heinerth’s first words upon reaching safety were, “The cave tried to keep us today.”