WATCH: Quadraplegic Egyptian naval officer makes history by setting scuba diving record

Egyptian navy officer Walaa Hafez has become the first quadriplegic man to complete a record-breaking underwater dive in a controlled environment.

The record was verified by Guinness World Records.

Hafez achieved a dive to a depth of five metres with a time of 6 hours, 4 minutes and 45 seconds.

His world record title includes the classification CI1, which Guinness says refers to their impairment classifications that 'aim to make record breaking accessible for everyone'.

"The dive achieved by Hafez is now recognised as the new world standard for 'longest scuba dive in a controlled environment (male)' by someone with quadriplegia."

Guinness World Records

It was the navy officer's first endurance dive since the car crash that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Before the accident, in 2015, he'd set the record for longest open saltwater scuba dive (male) with a time of 51 hr 24 min 13 sec.

Hafez set his new record in Ismailia, Egypt, at the Suez Canal Authority's (SCA’s) international pool.

He managed the feat through collaborating with a specialised team and leveraging intensive training and adaptive techniques.

“Respect and passion are two main values in our dictionary at Guinness World Records and today this record showed passion more than anything else!”

Raafat Tawfik, Adjudicator - Guinness World Records 

CLICK HERE to watch the video of the record-breaking dive