Canadian cliff diver Molly Carlson completed a backward dive of about 15 metres from a freestanding iceberg near Twillingate, saying the idea grew from her own mental health struggles.
Tamrah News Desk | October 23, 2026
Canadian cliff diver Molly Carlson has become the first woman to dive off an iceberg, completing a backward jump of about 15 meters near Twillingate, Newfoundland. According to a Red Bull release published by Torqued Magazine, the dive took place on June 11, 2026, and the Red Bull Iceberg Dive project was made public on October 22. Carlson, aged 28, told Reuters the idea came from her mental health struggles.
A Historic Iceberg Dive Off Newfoundland
According to Red Bull, the Red Bull Iceberg Dive made Carlson the first woman to dive from a freestanding iceberg. Red Bull said it was also her highest backward dive to date. The release said a temporary rigging system set up by Will Gadd helped the pair climb to the top. Red Bull said she had prepared for months with Gadd, a fellow Canadian Red Bull athlete and ice climbing great, before travelling to Twillingate.
NBC Connecticut reported that Carlson told CBC Sports the concept took about four years to develop and was meant to showcase Canada’s natural beauty. CBC reported that the Canadian high diver was partly inspired by Orlando Duque, who dived off an iceberg in Antarctica in 2018.
Finding a safe target took time. CBC reported that experts searched for a stable Newfoundland iceberg with a shelf she could dive from, since icebergs can roll over. NBC Connecticut said weather, ocean swells and iceberg stability all had to line up before the team felt comfortable going ahead.
Why Mental Health Inspired the Iceberg Dive
According to Reuters video distributed through Yahoo and The Manila Times, Carlson said the idea
“came from my struggles with mental health.”
She explained that an iceberg shows roughly 10 percent above the water while 90 percent stays hidden, much like what people struggle with in private. Reuters reported that she wanted to combine cliff diving with her mental health advocacy.
CBC reported that Carlson has spoken openly about living with anxiety and overcoming an eating disorder as a teenage competitive diver. She told CBC,
“I don’t feel like I’ve ever conquered fear.”
How the Iceberg Dive Unfolded at Twillingate
Reuters video said Carlson and Gadd faced ocean swells, iceberg movement and poor weather before the jump. CBC reported that drone measurements of the iceberg’s height were not precise, so Carlson relied on her athletic instincts.
CBC said conditions at the top were windy and that she had to fight intrusive thoughts. When she leapt into her backflip, CBC reported, she felt a sense of bliss. Reuters video added that Gadd only just made it back onto the team’s boat before a piece of the iceberg broke off.
Is It Safe to Dive Off an Iceberg?
Carlson addressed the risk herself. NBC Connecticut quoted her in the documentary as saying,
“Icebergs are incredibly dangerous.”
Red Bull’s release quoted her calling the project
“one of the scariest things I have ever done.”
VOCM reported that Phil Walker, superintendent of Maritime Search and Rescue with the Canadian Coast Guard, said the agency knew about the stunt and that Carlson had a full safety team. VOCM said he noted it is not the Coast Guard’s mandate to stop such stunts, but he discourages anyone from copying it, warning, “It may not end well.” VOCM added that icebergs can break or turn over with little notice.
Carlson’s Place in Cliff Diving
Red Bull said the Newfoundland iceberg project followed a year that included diving into waters with sharks, a 27 meter dive and a return to the Red Bull Cliff Diving circuit. CBC reported that the Red Bull Iceberg Dive documentary is available on YouTube.
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Conclusion
Molly Carlson’s iceberg dive near Twillingate pairs a record setting cliff diving feat with a message about mental health. Readers looking for the confirmed facts behind Molly Carlson iceberg dive, first woman to dive off an iceberg, Red Bull Iceberg Dive, Will Gadd iceberg, Twillingate iceberg dive, Molly Carlson mental health and cliff diver iceberg Newfoundland will find them in reporting from Red Bull, Reuters, CBC and NBC.
