Inspired By The Book 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' Man Sets World Record of Living Underwater for 120 Days

Humans are always looking out for new places to settle down and call home. From Mars' surface to Earth's natural satellite, nothing has been left out of consideration. Rudiger Koch, a 59-year-old German aerospace engineer, has presented another option under the Earth's waterbodies, stated My Modern Met. To 'walk the talk' he decided to experience life inside the waters of northern Panama. 

Koch claimed that the story of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea written by Jules Verne encouraged him to take this challenge. For 120 days Koch lived in a submerged capsule off the coast of Panama. The Aerospace engineer stayed 36 feet under the sea, inside his 320-square-foot 'home.' The capsule had all the amenities like internet, toilet, TV, bed, and even an exercise bike. All of these appliances were powered with the help of solar panels attached to the surface. The underwater capsule had a chamber in the upper half, linked to a spiral staircase. Through the staircase, Koch's guests and family visited him.

The capsule also had four cameras, that recorded all of Koch's movements. The objective of recording him was to observe if he ever felt like leaving the capsule because of the condition and also to keep a check on his mental health. Through this stay, Koch wanted to prove that humans can make a settlement underneath the water bodies. "What we are trying to do here is prove that the seas are actually a viable environment for human expansion," he said.

Koch came out on January 24 and met Guinness World Records adjudicator Susana Reyes. The adjudicator informed him that he had achieved the world record of living the longest underwater without depressurization. In the past, the record was held by American Joseph Dituri who spent 100 days in an underwater lodge at the Florida lagoon, stated France 24. Reyes who has witnessed a lot of records being made, called this particular achievement "one of the most extravagant." She further added that the record required a lot of effort from Koch and also officials from Guinness World Records. "We needed witnesses who were monitoring and verifying 24/7 for more than 120 days," Reyes claimed.

Koch thoroughly enjoyed the whole stay. "It was a great adventure and now it's over there's almost a sense of regret actually. I enjoyed my time here very much," he said. The aerospace engineer shared that one of his favorite things to do inside the capsule was to look at the magnificent sea, from the portholes during the night. "It is beautiful when things calm down and it gets dark and the sea is glowing," he said. Koch shared that it is an experience one can only describe after living through it. 

To celebrate the end of his 120-day experience, Koch took out a glass of champagne as well as a cigar. After a toast and puff, he dived into the Carribean Sea. A boat collected him from the waters and took him to the dry land for another party.