Bhubaneswar: Dubai-based Non-Resident Odia (NRO) and noted scuba diver Priyadarshee Panigrahi has added another milestone to his international underwater explorations by successfully diving the submerged Lockheed L-1011 TriStar passenger aircraft in Jordan’s Red Sea, one of the world’s most unusual underwater aircraft wrecks.
Panigrahi undertook the dive off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan’s only coastal city, last Sunday. The 300-seat, 50-metre-long aircraft, which entered commercial service in 1983, was deliberately sunk in August 2019 after retirement to create an artificial reef and marine habitat.
It now rests between 18 and 28 meters below the surface and has emerged as one of the region’s most sought-after wreck-diving sites. Descending to 94 feet (28.7 metres), Panigrahi completed his deepest wreck penetration dive to date. He swam through the submerged passenger cabin, navigated the aisles of the once-flying airliner, examined the cockpit and exited through one of the aircraft’s doors. “It was like travelling through aviation history beneath the sea. Swimming through a passenger aircraft that once flew at 30,000 to 35,000 feet and now rests on the seabed is a surreal and unforgettable experience,” Panigrahi said.
A senior business management professional, Panigrahi has undertaken dives across renowned destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe, including the Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Tanzania and Cyprus, earning recognition as one of Odisha’s prominent underwater adventure enthusiasts. His passion for diving is shared by his daughter, Tisya Panigrahi.
Both are Advanced Open Water Divers, making them among India’s few father-daughter advanced scuba-diving duos and active advocates of marine conservation and underwater exploration. Priyadarshee is the son of late Sriballav Panigrahi, former Union Minister and three-time Member of Parliament, and educationist late Sunanda Panigrahi.