New attempt on Guinness World Record for the "Longest Openwater Scuba Dive
The attempt, taking place in the waters off Coral World, on the island of St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, is a fundraiser to earn $1 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Project Nautilus, a non-profit organization created with the goal of breaking the Guinness World Record is reportedly on track to meet its goal of shattering the standing record, and raising $1,000,000.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The world-record bid of a 144-hour open-water saltwater scuba dive in the waters off Coral World, U.S. Virgin Island.
Diver Keith Sagray said he is prepared for the feat through his job building ocean pipelines.
"By vocation, I'm a saturation diver," he told Virgin Islands Daily News. "I work and live in a habitat at the bottom of the ocean, 30 days at a time. Most of my work is oil- and gas-industry related; mostly private sector work. Nothing extremely entertaining. Most of my time is spent in Africa, the Mideast and Southeast Asia."
Working closely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a host of dedicated sponsors and partners, the Project Nautilus Team is an all-volunteer assembly of engineers, doctors, professional divers, amateur bodybuilders, Mensa members, MMA fighters, and other diverse and talented characters from all over the world, who have come together to push the limits of human endurance in order to raise awareness and funds for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Sagray said he was driven to make the scuba world record attempt because such a thing was on his bucket list and because he had a cousin who suffered from muscular dystrophy and the Make-A-Wish Foundation helped him. The assistance from the foundation improved his cousin's - and his family's - lives.
Get involved
As project engineers and commercial divers work together to overcome the technical challenges associated with the dive itself (hypothermia, gas toxicity, nutritional concerns, and environmental factors, for example) the leadership of Project Nautilus continues to rally support for its mission by encouraging others to visit their website, and to get involved, as a volunteer, a donor, or sponsor! For more information, Email or call 832-515-6096.
They [Project Nautilus] are an extraordinary team of people, striving to push their limits to the breaking point in order to fulfill the dreams of thousands of kids who need that kind of devotion the most. This effort stands for more than an individual, or a team accomplishment - it represents the best in human nature.
Keith Sagray