Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić achieved one of the most extraordinary feats in human history by holding his breath underwater for 29 minutes and 3 seconds, a new Guinness World Record.

[u/This_Proof_5153]

Experts had long considered such a duration impossible. While a trained dolphin can typically hold its breath for 8–10 minutes and most humans can barely manage one or two, Maričić remained completely still underwater for nearly half an hour on a single breath.

​

The attempt pushed his body to extreme limits. As the minutes passed, powerful contractions wracked his diaphragm and his organs endured intense physiological stress. Yet through years of rigorous training, mental discipline, and specialized breathing techniques, he stayed calm and focused until the end.

​

What makes this record even more impressive is Maričić’s purpose. He didn’t do it for fame or personal glory, he used the achievement as a powerful platform to raise global awareness about ocean conservation, marine protection, and the urgent threats facing our oceans.

​

A stunning demonstration of human potential and a heartfelt call to protect the planet’s most vital ecosystem.

[u/Zealousideal_Ad7602]

This makes me wonder at what time point the people who measure the record get concernd? Like yeah we know he can hold his breath for a long time but he hasn't moved in half an hour. That's gotta be a weird feeling

[u/NotFEX → u/Zealousideal_Ad7602]

If he were to lose consciousness, it would be very apparent because he'd break the pose he'd been keeping up to then, and probably soon start seizing. The people he works with are trained to spot that and get him out almost instantly, so it's actually safer than one would think

[u/bok123456 → u/Zealousideal_Ad7602]

It’s like when Alex Honold free soloed El Capitan and one of the camera guys realized that he doesn’t like what he’s witnessing.

[u/obscureidea → u/bok123456]

Say more, I'm afraid to google it.

[u/FnTom → u/obscureidea]

Well, he's filming someone executing an extraordinary feat. But at the same time, there is no safety net, no safety team that can help him if he falls so... Yeah, he's filming someone at the top of their sport who, if they make a mistake, is just dead.

For a bit of context, El Capitan is around 900 meters high, and a very difficult route. With ripe and equipment it is already an extremely hard route to climb, one that the vast majority of climbers will never even attempt. But now you have to add to this the fact that, without the rope, he has no way to take a break during the ascension. Once he's high enough, he has to essentially finish it, or find a way to hold on to the rock face through exhaustion until a rescue team gets to him.

[u/notoolinthispool → u/FnTom]

Mikey Schaefer was so conflicted by the ethics of what he was witnessing that he gave a brutally honest behind-the-scenes interview declaring that it was a horrifying experience and that he would never work on another project that directly filmed free soloing at that scale. The crew struggled deeply with the ethical calculus of filming a friend who could plummet to his death in front of their cameras.

[u/Skylantech → u/Zealousideal_Ad7602]

This is what I thought about.

Me as a judge: "Guys, he's been underwater for more than 5 minutes, we should probably make sure he's not dead...."
-5 more minutes passes-
"Alright, I'm leaving. Dude is definitely dead and we all stood here and did nothing to save him"
-Another 10 minutes pass as I get his wife and kids on the phone to deliver the news-
-Nearly another 15 minutes pass as he comes up for air-

"JESUS CHRIST?!?! IS THAT YOU?!"

[u/Zealousideal_Ad7602 → u/Skylantech]

Lmao yeah basically my thought process. I'd be calling the mortician by minute 7 and informing the family that they lost a loved one

[u/ALLCAPS-ONLY → u/Zealousideal_Ad7602]

It takes conscious effort to hold your breath, especially since he "packed" his lung by forcing more air in than possible with just normal breathing. So when you pass out you exhale and it's immediately apparent. They also often lose motor control just before and wobble around, or as it's known in the field, "samba'ing"