Diver sets new world record in Groveland

[Avonthediver]

By Heather Sorentrue, Reporter
Last Updated: Friday, September 16, 2011 6:26 PM

GROVELAND --
A Lake County diver set a new world record Friday for spending more than five days underwater.

People gathered around Groveland's Lake David to rally around diver Allen Sherrod, 47, as he stepped foot back on land.

Around 9 a.m. Sherrod broke the world record for the longest freshwater dive by just about 15 minutes.

"This was like amazing. He's tried this two times before. This whole week we knew he could pull it off," said Nicole Plussa, 17, who attempted the women's world record but had to resurface after about 13 hours.

Sherrod walked out of Lake David with a bottle of champagne and his sense of humor still intact.

Sherrod started his dive Sunday at 8:46 a.m., 10 years to the minute since the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

He emerged five days, 14 minutes and 32 seconds later.

Sherrod dedicated this third attempt to helping veterans pursue diving by raising money for Wounded Warriors.

"I feel good. I'm glad I did it," Sherrod said. "I'm the only one that's made 3 dives in 13 months that total almost 300 hours at one time in three dives. So that's an accomplishment on its own."

Sherrod attempted the same dive twice last year, but he had to resurface after the water got too cold and he started to get sick.

Sherrod built up so much nitrogen in his body from being underwater this time that he had to spend hours hooked up to an oxygen tank to adjust back to life on land.

For the last five days he survived on a liquid diet of Ensure and Gatorade.

He had some underwater entertainment with a waterproof monitor and keyboard where he could watch movies and even check Facebook.

Still, Sherrod said the worst part was all the waiting around.

"I'm not a patient person," he told friends while wearing his oxygen mask.

Sherrod's safety divers told News 13 the last night was definitely the hardest, and Sherrod was shivering the whole time.

"It really takes a strong mind, a strong heart to be able to do this," Lead Safety Diver Jose Mijares said.

Allen Sherrod is now the only one in the world who has done it.

Mijares said despite the record-breaking attempt he would not have hesitated to pull Sherrod out of the lake if his life had been in danger.

Way to kool

 

[Simon-]

The point of it was?

Just don't get it myself

 

[BKP]

Doesn't say how deep he was, or what gear he used... I'm assuming a full face mask, at least when he slept, perhaps switching to standard regs to drink his meals?

Wet suit? Dry suit? Scuba? Snuba? Must have been a prune after five days (is five days worth of shrinkage, in cool water, reversible?).

Sounds like something David Blaine would do... nahh... Blaine would want to do it on a single breath-hold...

 

[String]

Really struggle to see the point of this. Its a self publicity stunt and no more. Nobody gains anything, there's no scientific value, many many more people have spent much longer working at depth for example.

 

[Malpaso]

The point of it was?

Just don't get it myself

"Sherrod dedicated this third attempt to helping veterans pursue diving by raising money for Wounded Warriors."

 

[RonFrank]

It is like most records, broken for the sake of breaking it. It would be totally useless without the cause. Thank god for the CAUSE!

 

[popje]

So he didn't sleep, eat, drink, pee or poo in 5 days...??? If he did, did he manage to do that while still fully submerged in water? If he wasn't then what's the difference between his dive and saturation divers who spend weeks underwater?

 

[Gill]

So he didn't sleep, eat, drink, pee or poo in 5 days...??? If he did, did he manage to do that while still fully submerged in water? If he wasn't then what's the difference between his dive and saturation divers who spend weeks underwater?

I guess you didn't read the article. It said he ate a liquid diet of Ensure (I had to survive on this for a month when I broke my jaw and my jaw was wired shut) and gatorade. Some divers pee underwater inside their wetsuit and pee with a p-valve in a dry suit. Not sure how he managed the poo part. I'm assuming he was diving dry.

 

[Paladin]

Not sure how he managed the poo part.

Warhammer Maneuver, perhaps?:mooner:

 

[GRH]

Man attempts to break freshwater dive world record again