David Vencl, a 40-year-old free diver hailing from the Czech Republic, set a record on Tuesday (14th March) after diving into the depths of Switzerland’s Lake Sils more than 50 metres deep below the ice without wearing a wetsuit.
His name was entered in the Guinness World Records for making a vertical dive of 52.1 metres in one breath. Vencl dived into the lake through a hole in the ice and recovered a sticker on reaching a depth of 50 metres and came back from the same hole. The sticker was placed 170.9 metres at the bottom of the frozen lake. After coming back to the surface, he spat some blood and then opened a champagne bottle.
Later, he visited the hospital to check for any injuries but according to the doctors nothing was serious.
This is the second Guinness World Record by Vencl. He made his first record in 2021 for swimming in a frozen Czech lake of 265-foot in length again with one breath.
His promoter Pavel Kalous said it took 1 minute 54 seconds for him to do the Swiss plunge in temperatures between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius, which was slower than expected.
The ice had to be a minimum of 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) thick, as per the organizers, for the feat to be recognized. Free divers in this category are not allowed to wear diving gear, a hat, or any weights. Stig Severinsen of Denmark previously held the title in the Guinness World Records, setting it at 76.2 meters (250 ft) in April 2013.
Pavel Klous told the British news agency Reuters, “He kind of enjoyed it but he admits he was a little more nervous than usual and he had some problems with breathing. There is nothing difficult for him to be in cold water… Lack of oxygen is something normal for him. But this was completely different because it’s really difficult to work with the pressure in your ears in cold water.”
He added, “If you combine all these three things: cold water, lack of oxygen, and the problem with working with pressure, it’s something very unique.”
