New record for longest time living underwater reached by Florida man

ANKARA (AA) - As part of an underwater mission led by the Marine Resources Development Foundation, Joseph Dituri, residing in a unique underwater hotel located at the bottom of a 9-meter (around 30-feet) deep lagoon in the US state of Florida, has broken the record of longest time living underwater, according to local media.

Having spent 74 days underwater as of May 13 as part of Project Neptune 100, Dr. Dituri, a medical researcher and a professor at the University of South Florida, said on his social media account that he has no plans of ending his underwater stay just yet, the CBS news reported on Sunday.

“Since the beginning, my primary objective has been motivating upcoming generations, conversing with researchers specializing in marine life, and exploring the human body's capabilities in extreme environments,” he added. ​

According to his statement, he intends to resurface on June 9, which will mark the completion of the 100th day of his underwater journey.

The previous record was held by Jessica Fain and Bruce Cantrell, who spent 73 days in the same location -- the Jules Undersea Lodge.