German Rudiger Koch broke a world record by living underwater for 120 days in a submersible capsule off the coast of Panama. The previous 100-day record belongs to American Joseph Dietura. AFP reported this.
The German aerospace engineer looked out of his capsule in the presence of Guinness World Records judge Susana Reyes. She confirmed the new record.
“It’s been a great adventure, and now it’s over. I’m actually sad. I really enjoyed my time here,” Koch said as he left the capsule 11 meters underwater.
To celebrate, Rudiger Koch toasted with a glass of champagne, smoked a cigar, and then jumped into the Caribbean Sea. A boat picked him up and brought him to land for a celebratory party.
Koch’s capsule was equipped for a comfortable life: a bed, a toilet, a TV, a computer, the Internet, and an exercise bike. It was attached to another capsule that towered above the waves. A narrow spiral staircase led from the upper capsule to the lower one. Visitors and a doctor came to him. Solar panels on the surface provided electricity for Koch.
Four cameras filmed Rudiger Koch’s stay in the capsule, which proved that he never reached the surface.
Rudiger Koch said his record could change how we think about human life – and where people can settle, even permanently.
