Hannes Keller

Hannes Keller (September 20, 1934 – December 1, 2022(2022-12-01) (aged 88)) was a Swiss physicist, mathematician, deep diving pioneer, and entrepreneur. In 1962, he reached a depth of 1,000 feet (300 m) in open ocean.[1][2][3] In the 1970s through the 1980s, Keller made himself a name as an entrepreneur in the IT industry.[4] Keller was also an amateur classical pianist who produced two CDs and occasionally performed for audiences of up to 2000 people.[4][5][6]

Hannes Keller

Deep diving
Keller donning diving dress at the United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit[7]

Keller was born in Winterthur, Switzerland. He studied philosophy, mathematics, and theoretical physics at the University of Zurich. He became interested in deep diving and developed tables for mixed-gas decompression, supported by Albert A. Bühlmann who suggested suitable gases.[1][4] Keller successfully tested his idea in Lake Zurich, where he reached a depth of 400 feet (120 m), and Lake Maggiore, where he reached a depth of 728 feet (222 m).[8] On December 3, 1962,[9] he set a new world record when he reached a depth of 1,000 feet (300 m) off the coast of Santa Catalina Island, California, together with Peter Small.[7][10] This major achievement was overshadowed by the tragic end of the mission: Keller was lucky to survive while Peter Small and Chris Whittaker, a young UCLA student and supporting diver, lost their lives.[11]

In the following years, navies and hospitals bought decompression chambers constructed by Keller.

Career after diving

In the 1970s, Keller sold his own line of computers and in the 1980s became a leading vendor of IBM PCs in Switzerland.[4] He developed a series of software products (Witchpen, Ways for Windows, and Wizardmaker) which provided automatic spell checking, literal machine translation, and macro recording.

Keller used to run Visipix[12] the largest fine art and photo museum online with 1.3 million exhibits, all with free copyrights for any use.[4]

After 2005, Keller was a full-time artist.[4]

In 2009, Keller joined the advisory board for the United States Historical Diving Society.[13]

Keller died on 1 December 2022 in Niederglatt, Switzerland, at the age of 88.[14]

References
  1. Wendling, J; Nussberger, P; Schenk, B (1999). "Milestones of the deep diving research laboratory Zurich". South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 29 (2). ISSN 0813-1988. OCLC 16986801. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-12.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. Eaton, Bernard (2002) The Atlantis affair, Diver magazine, December 2002
  3. Tillman, Thomas (1999) The Keller Dive Archived 2007-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
  4. hanneskeller.com. "Hannes Keller Biography". hanneskeller.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  5. hanneskeller.com. "Hannes Keller In Concert". hanneskeller.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  6. Community Arts Music Association (1993). "December 5, 1993; American Youth Symphony; Zubin Mehta, Conductor; Theo Lieven & Hannes Keller, Pianos at the Arlington Theatre". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  7. Swann, C (2007). "Hannes Keller and His Secret Mixtures" (PDF). The History of Oil Field Diving. Oceanaut Press. Chapter 8: 105–113. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  8. "Deepest dive ever made, Hannes Keller Ken MacLeish in Lake Maggiore to 728 feet". Life magazine. 1961-08-04. p. 66.
  9. Bret Gilliam; Robert Von Maier; Darren Webb (1995). Deep Diving: An Advanced Guide To Physiology, Procedures And Systems. Aqua Quest Publications. pp. 60ff. ISBN 0922769311.
  10. Keller, H (2004). "Towards the Limits of the Continental Shelf". Historical Diver Magazine. The Historical Diving Society USA, Inc. 12 (3). Archived from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  11. Eaton, B (2003). "The Atlantis affair". South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal Reprinted from Diver, December 2002: 85–87. 33 (4). Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved 2009-08-07.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. "Visipix". www.visipix.com.
  13. "HDSUSA Welcomes Hannes Keller to the advisory board". The Journal of Diving History. Historical Diving Society USA, Inc. 17 (58): 4. 2009.
  14. Phil Davison: Hannes Keller, deep diver who pioneered breathing gas mix, dies at 88. In: Washington Post, 25 December 2022.

Further reading
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