ITN
Blaine's personal waterworld
Blaine's personal waterworld
The illusionist and escape artist David Blaine has begun his latest high profile stunt, spending a week in a giant water bubble. The 33-year-old Blaine, shirtless and with an oxygen tube in his mouth, slid into his snow globe-like 'human aquarium' at the Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts in New York. In a week, he will remove the device and attempt to hold his breath underwater longer than the record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds in the sphere measuring 8 square foot. He also will try to escape from 150 lbs of chains and handcuffs during the finale, which will air live in a TV special in the US, called David Blaine: Drowned Alive. ITV1 will also broadcast the event in the UK, later in the month. Blaine said: 'As a kid, I always was obsessed with Houdini'. He said he started training in December, with some help from the elite US Navy Seals. He lost 50 lbs kg so his body would require less oxygen. The water in the sphere will be kept at a balanced temperature to help keep his core temperature near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). His gear includes a diving helmet that allows two-way communication with his support team. His previous feats of endurance include balancing on a small platform for 35 hours, being buried alive in a see-through coffin for a week and surviving inside a massive block of ice for 61 hours. In 2003, he fasted for 44 days in a suspended acrylic box over the Thames in London.
ITN | May 2, 2006
