The freediving community is mourning the loss of Colombian athlete Cristian Castaño Villa, who has passed away at the age of 40. The news was confirmed by Cetma Composites, a company he represented, though no cause of death has been disclosed.
Castaño Villa, originally from Manizales, combined his professional career as a civil engineer with a deep passion for the sea. Over the years, he became one of Colombia’s most accomplished freedivers, achieving 28 national records in the sport. His milestones included reaching depths of 85 and 87 meters with bi-fins and 90 meters with a monofin.
Freediving, known as apnea, is the discipline of diving without breathing equipment, relying instead on voluntary breath-holding to achieve depth, distance, or time underwater. Castaño Villa was widely regarded as a leading figure in this demanding sport.
Beyond his records, he was also known for his resilience. In July 2023, while training in San Andrés for the Freediving World Championship in Honduras, he survived an encounter with an oceanic whitetip shark. Despite the incident, he made a full recovery and returned to competition later that year in Cyprus.
His passing has left a significant void in the freediving community, where he was seen not only as a competitor but also as an ambassador for Colombia on the international stage.
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