Free-diver plunges to record depth beneath frozen Swiss lake

David Winkel emerged from the depths of Switzerland’s Lake Siles on Tuesday after setting a record for diving more than 50 meters under the ice without a wetsuit.

A 40-year-old Czech diver’s record for a vertical jump of 52.1 meters in a single breath is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for swimming the length of a frozen Czech lake in 2021.

Wankel dived through a hole in the ice and then re-emerged from the same hole, earning a sticker from a depth of 50 meters to prove his feat. He spat out some blood, sat for a minute and then opened a bottle of champagne. A later visit to the hospital confirmed that there was nothing serious.

It took 1 minute 54 seconds for the Swiss to plunge in temperatures between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius, slightly shorter than expected, said his promoter Pavel Kalos.

“He kind of enjoyed it but he admits that he was a little more nervous than usual and had some difficulty breathing,” he told Reuters.

“It’s not difficult for him to be in cold water… the lack of oxygen is 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 said. added.

“If you combine these three things: the cold water, the lack of oxygen and the problem of working with pressure, it’s something very unique,” he added.