Miami

Underwater Wedding Marks Anniversary of Florida Keys Icon

Kimberly Triolet and Jorge Rodriguez exchanged their wedding vows underwater beside a 9-foot statue of Jesus.

The Miami couple were wed beneath the waves to help mark the 50th anniversary of the installation of the Christ of the Deep statue. The bronze sculpture is a subsea icon in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

For the traditional wedding kiss, the bride and groom removed their SCUBA breathing mouthpieces.

The 9-foot-tall statue was submerged Aug. 25, 1965. It became a symbol for Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, created in 1960 as America's first underwater preserve. It is now part of the sanctuary.

The statue is a replica of the Italian "Christ of the Abyss'' that was placed in a shallow bay near Portofino, Italy, in 1954.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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