Diver sets two new records plunging 442ft - and he can breath for 5 minutes

26 July 2023 , 09:34

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Accomplished free diver Alexey Molchanov broke a record, making him the "Deepest man on Earth" (Image: mediadrumimages/Daan Verhoeven)

A free diver who can hold his breath for just under five minutes has become the "Deepest Man on Earth" after plunging to unprecedented depths.

International free diver Alexey Molchanov broke the records at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas on July 21. Images have captured the daring free diver’s unparalleled performance with a free immersion dive to 133 meters.

Alexey completed the dive in a breathtakingly long 4 minutes and 42 seconds. He managed the dive in a stunning and perfect symmetry in depth and time - 442 feet in four minutes and 42 seconds.

Freediving is a form of diving in which someone relies on their breath to plunge to the bottom of the ocean (mediadrumimages/Daan Verhoeven)

Alexey is an accomplished free diver with 29 world records to his credit but he seems unstoppable.

“My dive felt good, but I’m tired,” he said.

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“Overall I felt strong, I felt clean as well but it’s not my favourite discipline.”

“Alexey is not only the world’s best, he’s from an entirely different universe! He makes everything look so effortless which belies what it actually takes to do what he does. He is incredible.” said Marco Cosentino, Vertical Blue’s chief of safety.

Freediving is a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than having any breathing equipment.

It's an incredibly dangerous sport that can leave divers seriously injured if not performed correctly (mediadrumimages/Daan Verhoeven)

There are extreme and sometimes deadly consequences to freediving if not carried out correctly because of the breathing limits and the pressure associated with such low depths in the water.

Last week, another brave diver was photographed after she traversed a very tight underwater cave system because it "helps her relax".

Bartender and mum Tiffany Marie Owen, 30, from St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, started freediving over a year ago and can now hold her breath for a total of three-and-a-half minutes.

In her insane videos posted on her TikTok channels, Tiffany can be spotted descending through the hideaway hole at Ginnie Springs, Florida.

In this video, Tiffany had three safety divers who accompanied her, two above the hole and one who dove with her below, and the whole dive only took 30 seconds.

"For this attempt, I had three safety divers," she said. "Two of my safety divers were on the top of the hole, and the third safety diver followed me down and waited until I surfaced. I don't mind tight spaces. I find comfort in them. I felt safe and confident. It was a quick dive. It only took about 30 seconds from start to finish."

Ryan Fahey