Rossana Maiorca ( February 23, 1960 – January 7, 2005) was an award-winning diver who was also known for being the daughter of Enzo Maiorca, a celebrity free diver.
Rossana lived a fulfilled but somewhat short life. However, her family members have ensured that her name has not been relegated to the background. We have put together details of her life; the career she pursued and what led to her death below.
Summary of Rossana Maiorca’s Biography
- Full name: Rosanna Marioca
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: February 23, 1960
- Rossana Maiorca Age at Death: 45 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: Italian
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Rossana Maiorca’s Parents: Enzo Maiorca (father)
- Siblings: Pattrizia Maiorca
- Famous for: Being a free diver and daughter of Enzo Maiorca
How Old was Rossana Maiorca When She Died?
Rossana Maiorca was born on February 23, 1960, and she died on January 7, 2005, when she was 45 years old. She was born in Venice, Italy, and spent the greater part of her life there with her father, Enzo Maiorca, and also her sister, Patrizia Maiorca. Although the identity of her mother is not known, all through his lifetime, Rosanna’s father was married to a woman named Maria Giblo.
Just like Rosanna, her father, Enzo, was a world-renowned free diver whose extraordinary diving skills earned the moniker, “Lord of the Deep ”, a name he fully lived up to until his death on November 13, 2016, at the age of 85.
Meet Rossana Maiorca’s Free-diving Family
Although Rosanna was an incredibly talented free diver, she was not the only member of her family with such great skills. Her father, Enzo Maiorca, as well as her sister Patrizia Maiorca, were globally recognized as incredible free divers. Here is a summary of their individual lives and awards as divers.
Rossana Maiorca’s Father Was Known as The lord of the Deep
Vincenzo Maiorca, otherwise known as Enzo Maiorca is, to this day, recognized globally as one of the best free divers ever. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, on June 21, 1931. And despite his great fear of the sea he started swimming at just 4 years old and started diving a little while later.
However, he did not decide to make a career out of it until 1956 when a friend of his showed him an article about a new 41 meters record that was set by two spearfishing champions, Ennio Falco and Alberto Novelli. Inspired by the new challenging discoveries, Enzo started taking an active part in different competitions so that he would one day be recognized as the Man Who Reached the Deepest.
Barely 4 years later, he made this dream come true when he beat the Brazilian spearfishing champion, Americo Santarelli, to set a new record of 45 meters in 1960. In 1967 Enzo quit spearfishing to focus only on free diving. He made this decision after a life-threatening experience he had with a grouper he was trying to capture after spearing it. He told the Diver Magazine that the experience made him realize that fishes were no less living beings than humans and as such deserved freedom to live.
Rossana Maiorca’s Father Won Numerous Awards
Of all Enzo’s award-worthy moments, the most memorable, perhaps, was the Dolphin Story. In 2011 Enzo narrated that some years before then he and his two daughters had been led by a male dolphin to another dolphin who was trapped in an old net. And with the help of Rosanna, he was able to rescue the trapped dolphin and take it to the surface where they were surprised to find out that she was pregnant.
Although many people have argued that the popular dolphin story was fictionalized, some credible sources have claimed that at least the basics of the story were real.
Some of Enzo’s Other Awards Include:
- Gold Medal of the President of the Republic (1964) for athletes
- Ustica Golden Trident
- CONI’s Literary Award for the book Headlong Into the Blue.
- Sports Merits Gold Star from CONI
From 1994 to 1996 Enzo quit free diving to pursue a career in politics after he was elected as a senator for the Alleanza Nationale party. On November 12, 2016, the death of the great Italian free diver was announced to the public, however, the cause of his death was not released.
Although he has been dead for a while now, the Lord of the Deepest has forever been immortalized in the Big Blue, a fictionalized movie that focuses on the long-time competition between Enzo and his rival, Jacques Mayol.
Was Rosanna’s Sister Also a Diver?
Rosanna’s sister, Patrizia MAiorca, who celebrates her birthday on April 2, was also a free diver. However, she preferred to spend her time mostly away from the camera and as a result, not much is known about her personal life and career path.
Besides being a free diver, Patrizia is an avid sea protector. She is the president of the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area and dedicates a great deal of her time to the protection of the sea and the animals that live within it. She is also an active supporter and board member of Sea Shepherd US, an organization whose sole aim is the protection of wild lives.
How Successful Was Rossana Maiorca as a Diver?
Rossana Maiorca was very successful as a free diver. In 1989 she held the world record for freediving immersion and was also named the first person to achieve the single fin world record in Syracuse. She gained more affection from her fans after she rescued a pregnant dolphin with her father, and this, coupled with several other great expeditions of hers, earned her the title of Mermaid of Sicily.
Rosanna Died of Cancer When She Was 45 Years Old
Rossana Maiorca died in Mestre, Venice, Italy, on January 6, 2005, at the age of 45. Although it was disclosed that she died of cancer, no extra information was given on the type of cancer she died of.
In honor of her great achievements, a sculptor named Pietro Marchese immortalized her in by sculping a golden statue of her. The statue, which is situated in Gli Archi, was sculpted in 2008 and named the Mermaid of Sicily.