Man reels in record-breaking butterfly peacock bass

Felipe Prieto was fishing in a Broward County lake, Florida, one day after work when he reeled in a 23 5/16-inch butterfly peacock bass fish. Weighed in at 9.11 pounds, it broke the record of 9.08 pounds, which had stood since 1993.

“The butterfly peacock bass is colourful, a lightning-fast striker and a hard fighter,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement. “Anglers from across the country travel here to catch a peacock bass. This unique game fish is just one of the features that makes Florida, truly, the fishing and boating capital of the world.”

World’s tallest woman

A Turkish woman, who stands at 7 feet, .7 inch, has been dubbed the tallest woman living by Guinness World Records. Rumeysa Gelgi was the tallest teenager living (female) at age 18, in 2014, was officially remeasured by Guinness this year.

Gelgi was born with Weaver syndrome, a rare condition that causes accelerated growth. The condition forces Gelgi to use a wheelchair for most of her mobility, but she is able to walk for short periods with the help of a walker.

“Every disadvantage can be tur­ned into an advantage for yourself, so accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best,” Gelgi told Guinness.

Woman grows 13-foot, 6-inch okra plant

An Oklahoma gardener is seeking Guinness World Records recognition for an okra plant that measures more than 13 feet high.

Linda Compton, of Claremore, planted the okra using normal seeds from Walmart and hasn’t used any special fertiliser or chemicals on the plant.

Compton told her plants “love the Claremore dirt, lots of water, and one other thing — they like my music.”

Linda found out the Guinness World Record for tallest okra plant stands at 10 feet, 5 inches, and her plant has already surpassed 13 feet, 6 inches and it’s still growing. She has reached out to the record-keeping organisation to get her okra plant recognised.

Couple float their dream home across inlet

Daniele Penney and Kirk Lovell, a couple in Newfoundland, Canada, discovered that the house that Penney had long admired on the shore of the Bay of Islands inlet was going to be torn down. So they got permission from the property owners to move it to their own coastal property in McIvers.

Moving the house by land was too difficult, so they floated the house a little over half a mile through the Bay of Islands to its new location. Barrels were installed under the house and it was tied to a metal frame loaded with old tires to keep it upright in the water. The house was pushed through the inlet by a series of small boats.

One corner of the house dipped into the water up to a second-story window at one point during transport, and the engine of a boat died, but members of the community used their own boats to rush to assistance and ensure the house made it to its new location. The house is drying out in its new location, and the couple hope to begin renovations soon.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 30th, 2021