American Explorer Completes Deepest Submarine Dive In History

schwit1 quotes the maritime industry news site gCaptain:

A private equity investor from Dallas, Texas and his team of explorers have completed a series of record-breaking dives to Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench, commonly known as the deepest place on earth. The initial record-setting dive took took place on April 28 when American, Victor Vescovo, a retired U.S. Navy officer, made a solo dive to the bottom of the 'Eastern Pool' of the Challenger Deep, reaching a depth of 10,928 meters (35,853 feet deep) and setting a new world record for the deepest dive by any human in history. Vescovo spent four hours (248 minutes) exploring the basin, setting another new record for the longest period of time ever spent on the bottom of the ocean by an individual.

The 10,928-meter depth beats the previous manned dive record by 16 meters (52 feet). [A record set in 2012 by James Cameron.]


CNN reports the explorer 'returned to the surface with the depressing news that there appears to be plastic trash down there... As well as four new species that could offer clues about the origins of life on Earth, Vescovo said he observed a plastic bag and candy wrappers at the deepest point on the planet.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.