Andy Torbet

Andy Torbet
Born (1976-06-11) 11 June 1976
Irvine, Scotland
Residence Bristol, England
Occupation Adventurer, tv presenter, author
Known for Underwater exploring, The One Show, Operation Iceberg, The People Remember

Andy Torbet (born 1976) is a British underwater explorer, skydiver, adventurer and TV presenter; most notably the BBC's The One Show,[1] Coast,[2] Operation Iceberg[3] and The People Remember.[4]

His first book, Extreme Adventures,[5] was published in 2015 by Bantam Press.[6]

Early years

Torbet was born in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland on 11 June 1976, and brought up near the town of Turriff, Aberdeenshire. His father was a forester on The Craigston Estate. He attended the University of Sheffield, where he studied Zoology.[7]

Army years

Andy Torbet potholing in the Cave of Skulls, Scotland

Torbet spent 10 years in the British Armed Forces as a Paratrooper, diver, and bomb disposal officer, including serving with the 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British army's underwater bomb disposal team and the maritime counter terrorist group.[8]

He was involved in military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Falkland Islands.

Diving

Torbet took up diving at the age of 12, he has since dived on operations in the British Armed Forces, on commercial vessels, and explored cave systems and ship wrecks for his television and publishing work.

He has a number of technical diving qualifications, including cave, mixed gas, rebreather and free-diving as well as professional qualifications as a military and commercial diver and supervisor.[9]

Torbet's most notable dives include the Cave Of Skulls[10] a pothole system in Meall nan Aighean, and Scotland's deepest pothole at 48 meters; exploring the wreck HMS Wager (1739) off the coast of Gulf of Penas, Patagonia;[11][12] and the discovery in the English Channel of the MV Shoal Fisher, a wrecked World War II merchant ship.

Climbing and skydiving

Torbet is a qualified mountaineering and climbing Instructor and member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, with new routes and first ascents in the UK, Canada and Pakistan. As well as rock climbing, he also ice climbs and was a presenter on the BBC's award-winning Operation Iceberg[13]

Torbet is a professional skydiver; in 2016 on the BBC's The One Show he raced a Peregrine falcon, in free-fall Wing suit jump, achieving a win with speeds in excess of 240 mph.[14] He also performed a HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) jump for the BBC's Cloud Lab.[15]

His highest jump to date, is 28,000 ft over the Arizona desert, in the United States[16]

Publications

  • Andy, Torbet (2015). Extreme Adventures. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-0593071625.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC One, The One Show". BBC.
  2. ↑ "BBC Two, Coast". BBC.
  3. ↑ "Operation Iceberg: Life and Death of a 'berg". Radio Times.
  4. ↑ "Best daytime programme: The People Remember". Broadcastnow.co.uk.
  5. ↑ "Reviews: Extreme Adventures by Andy Torbet". Divernet.com.
  6. ↑ "Extreme Adventures Andy Torbet". Amazon.com.
  7. ↑ "About | Andy Torbet". andytorbet.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "A Man of Extremes". behappymagazine.co.uk.
  9. ↑ "Authors: Andy Torbet". Penguin.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Cave of Skulls". sidetracked.com.
  11. ↑ "Wreck Hunting in Patagonia". andytorbet.com.
  12. ↑ "Mount Misery to the Gulf of Pain". Divernet.com.
  13. ↑ "Operation Iceberg Team, Andy Torbet". BBC.
  14. ↑ "BBC The One Show, Facebook". Facebook.
  15. ↑ "Operation Cloud Lab: Secrets of the Skies review". The Guardian.
  16. ↑ "The One Show's Andy Torbet for terrifying skydive in new show". Digital Spy.


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