In memory of a son and nephew, two Irish brothers are to make a daring scuba dive in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and raise funds for sick children.
‘The World’s Longest Scuba Dive’ will begin at Scubadive West Dive Centre off the West coast of Galway on Saturday, 10th October 2009. The world record attempt aims to raise funds for the St. Raphael’s Children’s Ward at Beaumont Hospital and the charity CD’s Helping Hands.
Declan Devane has been motivated to take on the fundraising challenge in memory of his two year-old son Cillian, who died on 6th February this year. Declan, along with his brother Paul Devane, hope to spend 40 hours underwater, under the supervision of dive-coordinator Gary Jennings and with the help and support of Scubadive West (www.scubadivewest.com) and a team of support divers. To set the record, the brothers will not be permitted to break the surface of the water for the duration of the attempt.
What sets this dive apart from other attempts is that it takes place in open sea rather than an aquarium or pool. In the uncontrolled natural environment the divers will be exposed to the elements and a water temperature of less than 15 degrees Celsius. The team are therefore attempting to claim the Guinness World Record™ for the world’s ‘Longest cold, open saltwater SCUBA dive’.
Declan wants to honour his son’s memory and help other children who suffer serious illness: “We hope that our efforts and peoples generosity will, together, honour Cillian’s memory, as well as all the children who suffer serious illness. By raising funds for St. Raphael’s Children’s Ward at Beaumont Hospital where Cillian was cared for so well, and for CD’s Helping Hands, which supports the families of sick children, we hope to give something back to those who helped us when our little boy was sick”.
Originally from Hollymount in County Mayo, and now living in Galway, the brothers have been amateur divers for a number of years but have never attempted something like this before. As younger brother Paul points out: “It will be October. It will be cold, it will be long. There will be no breaks, no meals, no toilet stops. We want to make it to 40 hours. That’s the equivalent of a working week underwater. It will be a challenge”.
The divers face a number of risks but have prepared well to minimise the risks. As dive co-ordinator Gary Jennings points out: “The biggest risk to the guys is hypothermia but we have specialised equipment to combat this insofar as is possible and have meticulously planned every aspect of the dive from dealing with the many cylinders of air the guys will need to how to keep the guys occupied for such a long dive. I’ve every confidence the guys will pull this off. They can have no better motivation”.
To find out more about the world record attempt and show your support visit www.worldslongestscubadive.com or email info@worldslongestscubadive.com
