A Czech man claimed a stunning feat of human endurance after diving without a wetsuit beneath Switzerland’s Lake Sils and emerging from its 50-meter cold depth. David Vencl, 40, jumped 52.1 meters in a single breath. The achievement follows David’s inclusion into the Guinness World Records in 2021 when he swam the length of a frozen Czech lake.
Vencl dove through an ice hole. He then retrieved a sticker from a depth of 50 meters to demonstrate his feat and repeated the process. According to Reuters, he spat some blood, sat for a minute, and then opened a bottle of champagne.
A subsequent visit to the hospital confirmed that nothing was seriously wrong. According to his promoter Pavel Kalous, the Swiss plunge in temperatures ranging from 1 to 4 degrees Celsius took him 1 minute 54 seconds, which was a little slower than predicted.
“He kind of enjoyed it but he admits he was a little more nervous than usual and he had some problems with breathing,” he told Reuters.
“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,” he added.