Breathtaking! Diver's 587ft swim without coming up for air: Swimmer breaks UK record for freediving after holding breath for two and a half minutes

Rebecca Coales takes a well-deserved breather – after swimming nearly four lengths of an Olympic-size pool without coming up for air.

The 38-year-old held her breath for more than two and a half minutes as she swam an incredible 587ft underwater.

Her feat earned her a UK record for Freediving Fins freediving, which can involve competitors with no breathing apparatus swimming as far as they can without surfacing.

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Miss Coales, who carried out her dive in Stockport, Greater Manchester, beat the previous record by 13ft.

Her specific discipline is called Dynamic With Fins, and she propels herself through the water with a giant flipper resembling a mermaid’s tail.

The swimmer, who trains for 12 hours a week, said: ‘I am so pleased I have done it. It’s my first monofin record.

‘My sights are now on the world championships where I will compete in no fins, monofins and static dives (a type of freediving in which the competitor stays in one place).

‘I look forward to achieving even more in the sport.’ 

The record was observed by her coach Steve Millard and international judge Gary Lowe.

Mr Millard said she had made fast progress, adding: ‘Rebecca is a relative newcomer to the competition circuit, only starting to explore her potential in the last 18 months.’

Miss Coales is a member of Freediving Fins club Apneists UK, which trains across the North West.

Kirsty Hockley, general manager at the Life Leisure swimming pool in Stockport, said she was thrilled that it had been chosen for the record attempt.

The world Dynamic With Fins record is 767ft, and was set by Natalia Molchanova from Russia in June last year.