A diver in Antarctica has shared the terrifying moment he nearly died after being sucked into an iceberg.

Jill Heinerth, 60, CanadaRecalling this terrible experience, he explained how the dive turned into a ‘three-hour fight for life’.

Heinerth, whose dives are recorded, reminds us of what happened to PEOPLE. documentary, Diving into Darkness — described how she, her ex-husband Paul Heinerth, and the late camera operator Wes Skiles were on the final dive of their trip when they encountered strong currents and freezing temperatures.

The team dived into the icy structure to ‘stop the largest iceberg in recorded history’, but their journey nearly proved fatal.

When the team first entered the water, their first two dives were ‘chaotic’ and Heinerth explained that they missed a crucial sign that something was wrong.

“On sea ​​floor “Were all these yellow and red and warm-colored filter-feeding organisms creating this kind of shag carpet of life?” explained.

“And I had to pay attention right away because the current was strong and the current was carrying food to the stationary ground. animals It was firmly anchored to the seabed. And this had to be one of those ‘A-ha’s’. “Everything was anchored here because it had to be.”

Jill Heinerth recalled what happened (Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)

The current was increasing rapidly, but it was during the final dive that the team really got into trouble.

“When they say your life flashes before your eyes, it’s not like that,” he said. “You think a few really stupid thoughts. Then you say, ‘Wait a minute. I need to focus.’

“I can’t think about how to get out of the iceberg. I just wonder, ‘What’s the next best step towards survival?’ “I think.”

The current the team encountered was extremely strong, and Heinerth had to tell Skiles to remove the large camera he was carrying.

“When you work really hard on a breathing apparatus, a diving apparatus, you’re actually pushing the limits of what it can do,” he said. “If it can’t process the amount of carbon dioxide you’re expelling, then you can pass out.

“And if I suddenly have to worry not only about myself but also about saving my colleague, it’s game over for both of us.”

Saying that there was no one to save them, Heinerth had to take his team to safety.

Heinerth was able to get the crew to safety (Running Cloud Productions/Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Heinerth noticed that the tiny fish were moving towards the wall of the iceberg, even though the current was dragging them back. He quickly realized that he could use the small holes to hold on, and in the process, he pulled himself up.

Finally, the team managed to reach the surface, but the difficult process is not over yet.

“Actually the worst risk is when you hit the surface where you can literally freeze the tissue, especially if it’s windy when you’re trying to get on the boat.” he said.

Fortunately, the team survived, and Heinerth’s first words upon returning to safety were: “The cave tried to hold us today.”