By Monty Siekerman
ONU students dive into the university's pool hoping to help set a Guinness World Record and raise awareness about treading water to prevent drowning.

At exactly 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 66 swimmers took the plunge, along with many others across the United States, to beat the current record of 809 swimmers treading water at the same time in multiple locations.

But results will not be known for awhile because video of the record-breaking attempt must be mailed to validate the number of swimmers in Ada and elsewhere.

Learning to tread water is valuable to swimmers who might be in a dangerous situation. Treading water may keep a person from drowning.

There is another purpose to Wednesday's event: to raise money. Half of the money collected will go to the International Water Safety Foundation and half will support the ONU swimming and diving teams.