George Kourounis became the first person to enter the Door to Hell, a fiery pit in Turkmenistan
Canadian renowned explorer George Kourounis, aged 49, has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first person to venture into the Door to Hell or The Darvaza Crater, a fiery pit that has been burning for over 50 years in Turkmenistan.
Stunning photographs have been unveiled, capturing Kourounis as he rappelled 100 feet down into the crater while braving scorching temperatures of around 1,000 degrees Celsius.
During his daring descent into the Door to Hell, George Kourounis spent approximately 15 minutes within the crater before being safely pulled out by his team.
This relatively short duration inside the crater was likely due to the extreme temperatures and hazardous conditions present in such an environment.
"If you are in the downwind direction, the heat is excruciating. Everywhere from the outside to the center, there are thousands of little fires," he said.
"Then there are two large flames in the middle at the bottom, and that is probably where the drilling rig hole was for the natural gas extraction," George continued.
What causes the 1,000C pit of fire in Turkmenistan?
The crater was formed in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig accidentally collapsed into an underground cavern, releasing natural gas.
To prevent the spread of methane gas, the decision was made to ignite it, expecting it to burn off within a few weeks. However, the gas has continued to burn for over five decades, creating a mesmerizing pit of fire.
Descending 100 feet into the crater and exploring its surface would undoubtedly be an incredible and challenging experience with the temperatures reaching around 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit).
New types of bacteria found
In the amazing images, Mr. Kourounis can be seen wearing his heat-resistant aluminum suit as he carefully approaches the edge of the crater.
He first tested the temperatures surrounding the fiery pit, then gradually descended to the central.
Kourounis found some small rock samples containing bacteria that can live at such extreme temperatures, despite the hot, methane-rich environment. Scientists dubbed this a breakthrough discovery.
Kourounis has done a lot of crazy challenges before
Indeed, George Kourounis's adventurous spirit and love for exploration are evident through his daring undertakings.
From chasing tornadoes in the extreme environments of the American Midwest to taking a daring swim with piranhas in Venezuela, he has consistently sought out thrilling experiences in unique and challenging settings.
Another standout example of his audacity was getting married on the edge of an erupting volcano crater in the South Pacific.
One of George Kourounis's most notable discoveries during his exploratory career was the crater that has been burning in Turkmenistan for more than fifty years.
Upon hearing rumors that the Turkmen government was considering extinguishing the fire at the Door to Hell, George Kourounis, hailing from Toronto, Canada, was motivated to intensify his efforts to visit the site.
He stated: "There were a lot of questions and uncertainties because this was something no one had ever done before."
"At the bottom, how hot was it? Is there breathing air? Will there be ropes to survive? If something goes wrong, what then?
"Even I didn't know the answers. It was an overpowering experience when I finally arrived at the bottom," he responded.
" I was at a place no human had ever gone before. Since more people have visited the moon, it seemed like landing on a new world. It was a first for the globe, thrilling, daring, risky, and scientifically significant.
"Everything I love was there on this expedition," George Kourounis concluded.
