On April 6th, 1994, diving legend Sheck-Exley was attempting to break the diving depth record in the Zacatone Sinkle when something went horrifyingly wrong.

This is his story.

On June 29, 1968, Sheck and Edward Exley pulled into the parking lot of one of their favorite swimming spots.

It was another of Florida's many hot summer days, and Wakula Springs, located about 14 miles south

of Tallahassee, was always a good place to get some relief.

The Exley brothers weren't just your average teenagers look at a cool off with a swim, though.

At only 19, Sheck was starting to become known around dive shops in the area as a bit of

a phenom.

The local dive community even talked about him like he was some sort of myth, with claims

that he could extend the life of an air tank longer than any human on earth, or that he could leisurely descend to depths that the average diver

would pass out at. Hearing divers talk about Chek was like listening to a fisherman telling the

story of his biggest catch, only each time he tells it, the fight gets a little tougher, and the

fish gets a little bigger. And the two brothers' trips to Wakula Springs probably played a bit of a role in building

his reputation at such a young age.

There are signs in the parking lot of Wakala Springs that warn that scuba diving is strictly

prohibited, so this is where the brothers would come to free dive instead and test their limits.

During their swims, the brothers would take turns seeing how deep they could get on a single

breath hole before the need for air forced them to rocket back to the surface.

That day, though, Shek had a new piece of equipment he was excited to test out.

He bought a depth gauge that was worn on the wrist, and now these competitions with his brother

would have official measurements.

After they eased into the warm water of Wakullo Springs, Sheck and Edward swam out to the deeper

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