Underwatertimes.com News Service - August 22, 2006 23:37 EST

Two divers from the Aloha Dive Centre in Limassol broke a world on Saturday, raising approximately £1,000 for charity.

The divers remained submerged for 24 hours, without emerging for any breaks.

The divers, Mark Brimble and Jan Burt, descended at 6pm on Saturday August 19, at the Kanika Pantheon Hotel in Limassol.

They emerged victoriously at the same time on Sunday, in front of 150 spectators, much to their surprise.

The dive was in support of The Syncope Trust and Reflex Anoxic Seizures (STARS), an organisation which provides support to those suffering syncopes and reflex anoxic seizures, during which there is a temporary cut off of oxygenated blood from the brain, sometimes causing convulsions.

The five-year old nephew of one of Mark Brimble's friends suffers from such seizures.

The dive, said Brimble, was unlike most dives of its kind in procedure.

"Normally when you do a dive of this length, you're allowed to surface for five minutes every hour. We didn't surface at all," said Brimble. Furthermore, the two divers did not use full face masks, opting for regular scuba equipment.

The divers also rejected a surface-fed air supply, with an eight-person support team supplying them with oxygen tanks periodically instead.

"As far as we know, it's a world record," said Brimble, adding that officials from the Guinness Book of World Records had been in contact with the divers about their achievement.

In order to complete the process, he said, the divers will first have to compile dive logs and witness statements.