Breathtaking! Freediving couple break Guinness World Record for the longest underwater kiss with a four-minute six-second smooch – after weeks of practice sessions
- Beth Neale and her fiance Miles Cloutier broke the record in the Maldives
- The previous record – achieved 13 years ago – was three minutes 24 seconds
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A Guinness World Record for the longest kiss underwater has been broken by a freediving couple who wanted to ‘inspire others to fall in love’ with the ocean.
The four minutes and six seconds smooch between 40-year-old Beth Neale, from South Africa, and her 33-year-old fiance Miles Cloutier, from Canada, was achieved in an infinity pool at the Lux South Ari Atoll resort in the Maldives earlier this month.
The previous record of three minutes 24 seconds, which was held by Michele Fucarino and Elisa Lazzaina, was broken after 13 years.
The record-breaking pair met five years ago through their love of ocean conservation, with Neale teaching on this topic, as well as freediving, and Cloutier volunteering for the programme.
Neale said that she wanted to take on the challenge to ‘inspire others’ to share the couple’s love of all things underwater.
A Guinness World Record for the longest kiss underwater has been broken by Beth Neale, from South Africa, and her fiance Miles Cloutier, from Canada
The pair’s four minutes and six seconds smooch beat the previous record of three minutes 24 seconds
‘You protect what you love and the oceans need all the love we can give to safeguard them for future generations to come,’ Neale said.
After a few weeks of training for the kiss, the duo travelled to the Maldives with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Neve for the attempt – and took part in practice sessions in the open sea for three days.
Beth told Guinness World Records: ‘Three days before the record I could just not hold my breath.’
Miles added: ‘We couldn’t even reach the existing record – we weren’t even close.’
Despite Neale being a four-time freediving champion and Cloutier an experienced freediver, they referred to the attempt as being ‘incredibly challenging’.
Their attempt began with two trial underwater kisses of two and three minutes in length, before they aimed for the record-breaking smooch.
‘We had to be completely relaxed and confident, even when our bodies were experiencing something else,’ Cloutier said.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=iePFYrXnlpo%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
The couple say they wanted to ‘inspire others to fall in love’ with the ocean
The record-breaking pair met five years ago through their love of ocean conservation
A Guinness World Records official said that the pair’s ‘incredible underwater feat leaves me breathless’
At around three minutes, Eminem fan Neale – who has regularly gone viral on Instagram for lip-syncing to the rapper underwater – put on his hit Lose Yourself to get through the final minute.
Craig Glenday, editor in chief of Guinness World Records (GWR), said: ‘Beth and Miles’ incredible underwater feat leaves me breathless.
‘What an incredible testament to love – an epic achievement helping to celebrate and protect our beautiful oceans.
‘Congratulations to the happy couple – you are both “Officially Amazing”.’
The pair were given an official GWR certificate by adjudicator Swapnil Dangarikar and cheered on by holidaymakers.
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