British Royal Navy diver Lt. George Wookey dived 600 feet below the surface of a lake near Sorfjorden, Norway on October 12, 1956, breaking the previous record. Breathing a helium-oxygen mix, and wearing a Siebe Gorman helmet and a flexible dress standard diving suit, divers have gone deeper since then, but never using the Siebe Gorman helmet.

In conjunction with a dive show this week in Norway, a plaque commemorating Wookey's achievement will be unveiled near the site where he achieved the record. Wookey, who is now 83 years old, is scheduled to speak at the plaque's unveiling. Sadly, his sister says she asked if she "could go and help George celebrate but because of all the red tape involved, it would have been very difficult." Come on, somebody couldn't arrange for this woman to fly from Australia to Norway?!

If you've got a minute, definitely check out Wookey's first-person account of the dive, in which he simulated working on a sub in water temperatures approaching 33°F. According to Wookey, "Cold crept steadily through me and I had a passing thought, 'One of these days they'll invent heated suits!'" Claiming his fingers swelled to the size of sausages, I bet Wookey was delighted to get out of that cold lake water.