Maurice Fargues
Encyclopedia
Maurice Fargues was a diver
with the French Navy
and a close associate of Jacques Cousteau. In August 1946, Fargues saved the lives of Cousteau and Frédéric Dumas
during their dive into the Fountain of Vaucluse
. On September 17, 1947, while attempting to set a new depth record, Fargues became the first diver to die using an aqualung
.
, with Cousteau as its deputy commander and Frédéric Dumas as civilian adviser and chief diver. Dumas trained Fargues and the GERS' other two new recruits, Petty Officers Jean Pinard and Guy Morandière, as Aqua-Lung divers. Fargues became commander of the diving tender VP 8, a 72-foot twin-screw launch.
On August 27, 1946, Cousteau and Dumas dove into the Fountain of Vaucluse, a mysterious spring in the village of Vaucluse
, hoping to discover the secret of its yearly flooding. Fargues was the operation's surface commander, in charge of the guide rope which allowed Cousteau and Dumas to communicate with the surface. When Cousteau and Dumas became affected by carbon monoxide
in their air cylinders, Fargues saved their lives by pulling them back up to the surface.
diver could reach. On September 17, Fargues made the first dive near the French Navy base at Toulon
. Fargues descended an anchor line with marker slates attached at intervals, allowing him to sign his name on them to certify the depth he had reached, and periodically tugged on a safety line attached to his weight belt to let his colleagues on the surface know that he was alive. After three minutes, at a record-setting depth of 385 feet, Fargues stopped signalling. Taillez ordered that he be pulled up, and Jean Pinard dove to meet him, only to discover that Fargues was unconscious, his mouthpiece hanging on his chest. Resuscitation attempts were continued for twelve hours, but Fargues was dead. Nitrogen narcosis
had caused him to lose his mouthpiece and drown.
Fargues' scrawled signature on the slate at 385 feet confirmed his depth record. Cousteau and his group concluded that 300 feet was the maximum depth a diver using compressed air
could reach. In the words of Jacques Cousteau: "Dumas and I owed our lives to Maurice Fargues, who had resurrected us from the death cave at Vaucluse. We will not be consoled that we were unable to save him."
, France
. Fargues' children, Roselyne and Louis Fargues, were present at the ceremony. The room contains a plaque bearing a photograph of Fargues taken before his final dive and a reproduction of his final scrawled signature.
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
with the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and a close associate of Jacques Cousteau. In August 1946, Fargues saved the lives of Cousteau and Frédéric Dumas
Frédéric Dumas
Frédéric Dumas was part of a team of three, with Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Philippe Tailliez, in which he was nicknamed Didi. They had a passion for diving, and developed the diving regulator with the aid of the engineer Émile Gagnan...
during their dive into the Fountain of Vaucluse
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Heraldry:...
. On September 17, 1947, while attempting to set a new depth record, Fargues became the first diver to die using an aqualung
Aqua-lung
Aqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
.
GERS and the Fountain of Vaucluse
In 1945, Petty Officer Fargues joined the newly formed Groupe d'Études et de Recherches Sous-Marines (GERS), commanded by Philippe TailliezPhilippe Tailliez
Philippe Tailliez was a friend and colleague of Jacques Cousteau. He was an underwater pioneer, who had been diving since the 1930s.- Biography :...
, with Cousteau as its deputy commander and Frédéric Dumas as civilian adviser and chief diver. Dumas trained Fargues and the GERS' other two new recruits, Petty Officers Jean Pinard and Guy Morandière, as Aqua-Lung divers. Fargues became commander of the diving tender VP 8, a 72-foot twin-screw launch.
On August 27, 1946, Cousteau and Dumas dove into the Fountain of Vaucluse, a mysterious spring in the village of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
, hoping to discover the secret of its yearly flooding. Fargues was the operation's surface commander, in charge of the guide rope which allowed Cousteau and Dumas to communicate with the surface. When Cousteau and Dumas became affected by carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
in their air cylinders, Fargues saved their lives by pulling them back up to the surface.
Death
In September 1947, the GERS planned to make a series of dives to determine the maximum depth a scubaScuba
Scuba is an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. It may also refer to:* Scuba diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time* Scuba set, the equipment used to do scuba diving...
diver could reach. On September 17, Fargues made the first dive near the French Navy base at Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. Fargues descended an anchor line with marker slates attached at intervals, allowing him to sign his name on them to certify the depth he had reached, and periodically tugged on a safety line attached to his weight belt to let his colleagues on the surface know that he was alive. After three minutes, at a record-setting depth of 385 feet, Fargues stopped signalling. Taillez ordered that he be pulled up, and Jean Pinard dove to meet him, only to discover that Fargues was unconscious, his mouthpiece hanging on his chest. Resuscitation attempts were continued for twelve hours, but Fargues was dead. Nitrogen narcosis
Nitrogen narcosis
Narcosis while diving , is a reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while scuba diving at depth. The Greek word ναρκωσις is derived from narke, "temporary decline or loss of senses and movement, numbness", a term used by Homer and Hippocrates...
had caused him to lose his mouthpiece and drown.
Fargues' scrawled signature on the slate at 385 feet confirmed his depth record. Cousteau and his group concluded that 300 feet was the maximum depth a diver using compressed air
Compressed air
Compressed air is air which is kept under a certain pressure, usually greater than that of the atmosphere. In Europe, 10 percent of all electricity used by industry is used to produce compressed air, amounting to 80 terawatt hours consumption per year....
could reach. In the words of Jacques Cousteau: "Dumas and I owed our lives to Maurice Fargues, who had resurrected us from the death cave at Vaucluse. We will not be consoled that we were unable to save him."
Legacy
On September 17, 2007, the sixtieth anniversary of Fargues' death, a room was dedicated in his honor as the "Salle Maurice Fargues" at the Musée International de la Plongée Frédéric Dumas in Sanary-sur-MerSanary-sur-Mer
Sanary-sur-Mer is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is located from Toulon and from Marseille.-Overview:The seafront location was part of the commune of Ollioules...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Fargues' children, Roselyne and Louis Fargues, were present at the ceremony. The room contains a plaque bearing a photograph of Fargues taken before his final dive and a reproduction of his final scrawled signature.