A diver has eaten, drunk and slept his way to a new world record for the longest warm water scuba dive, spending 49 hours and 56 minutes underwater last weekend in aid of charity.

When not at rest or getting the required nutrition, Sean McGahern, lead diver for World Record Diving Malta, spent several hours clearing the St George’s seabed of any debris he could find.

The previous Guinness World Record stood at 48 hours and eight minutes.

Mr McGahern was assisted by the St John’s Rescue Corps and a team from the diving organisation, which also brought up the debris. World Record Diving Malta hosts recreational and competitive events to showcase diving and promote Malta as a diving destination.

Only five hours into the dive, they were suddenly hit by strong winds, currents, surges and one-metre waves. This turned the record attempt into an even bigger challenge but the team worked strongly together to get safety divers in and out of the water, the organisation said.

Mr McGahern was also surprised by the number of visitors who turned up on the seabed including his sponsors, his DiveMaster instructor and renowned sidemount instructor Garry Dallas.

Overnight, he slept well and the team were in fits of laughter hearing him snore underwater.

As the sun rose on Saturday morning in the bay, so did the new world record holder, exhausted but ecstatic.

He joked and smiled as he was assisted out of the water and accompanied to hospital for routine checks, following which he spent the day celebrating.

Born in England, raised in Ireland and a resident in Malta for 18 years, he thanked all those involved in the event for helping him accomplish his goal and appealed for donations to Inspire.

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