Divers emerge from Gilboa Quarry in Putnam County, where hundreds of underwater enthusiasts sought Saturday to re-establish the Guinness record for the most number of divers to submerge at once.

Unofficially, 794 people donned diving gear to tackle the record. In February, 2006, an assembly of 979 divers submerged in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, a group of 1,200 atolls south of India. Dive organizers said last week they believed they had enough commitments to break the record, but no-shows torpedoed the effort.

As the divers submerged and waited for their colleagues, some of them performed gymnastics feats, while others kept tabs on each other to ensure a safe experience. Most of the divers were from the United States, complemented by a large contingent from London, Ont. The 14- acre quarry is one of three dive sites in northwest Ohio frequented by divers.

First Published July 19, 2009, 11:26 a.m.