Underwater feat takes freediver's breath away

Dave Mullins claims he is an "unusually slow" swimmer, but with lungs burning and legs aching he smashed the world record for an underwater swim without a breath not once, but twice.

Yesterday, Dave, from Wellington, New Zealand swam 244 metres underwater on one breath, blitzing a record he set on Friday by 18 metres.



Using a mono fin, Mullins swam nonstop for four minutes and two seconds, completing nearly five lengths of the 50-metre Naenae pool.

Mullins said it would take a few days to recover from the rigours of busting world records because of the buildup of lactic acid in his legs.