Staying underwater for 29 minutes seems impossible. Learn how this freediver pushed his body to a physiological breaking point to set a world record.

That desperate, burning urge to gasp for air? That’s not your brain saying 'we’re out of O2.' It’s actually triggered by the buildup of carbon dioxide, and elite freedivers train their brains to stay calm while the fire alarm is going off at full volume.
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Eli: You know, Nia, I was just thinking about how most of us start panicking if we have to hold our breath for even sixty seconds. It’s that primal "I need air" reflex, right?
Nia: Exactly! That’s the body’s natural alarm system. But imagine staying underwater for the entire length of a sitcom episode. Back in June 2025, a Croatian freediver named Vitomir Maričić did exactly that. He stayed submerged in a pool for an incredible 29 minutes and three seconds.
Eli: Wait, nearly half an hour? That sounds physically impossible for a human being. I mean, even dolphins usually surface way before that!
Nia: It really is otherworldly. He actually shattered the previous world record by nearly five minutes. But as he described it, the experience was a "horrible" ordeal that pushed his body to a physiological breaking point. Let’s explore how he prepared his lungs and mind for this record-breaking struggle.