David Blaine's Latest Stunt Has Doctors Fearing His Death
Magician David Blaine began his latest endurance challenge on September 23rd, a stunt that has him hanging suspended upside-down for 60 hours in New York City's Central Park. Then on September 25th night, after three days and two nights, Blaine will drop to the ground. The "coming back to earth" will be the live-portion of a David Blaine: Dive of Death, airing on ABC this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. Blaine will only drink water during his time upside down, and use a catheter to go to the bathroom.
The stunt definitely brings with it risks. Dr. Wendy Wright at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta told ABC News, "Hanging upside down could cause blood to pool in the skull and pressure could build up inside the brain and eyes. This may result in congestion in the blood vessels causing stokes, or even rupturing of blood vessels causing bleeding. Seizures or death may also result."
Prior to beginning his stunt, Blaine explained the physiological effect of hanging upside down for 60 hours: "What has to happen is you have to get one leg lower than your heart. So the whole time I'm upside down I'll basically be doing one leg stretches. So I'll be hanging by one foot, stretching the other foot all the way down, and then switching, probably every 20 minutes. And then when I need some water or something like that, I'll pull myself horizontal so I can come up, drink, and then dangle back down."
Blaine then when on to say he won't be able to sleep for extended period of times during his three days in the air: "The other real thing is I can't sleep for more than 15 minute spurts because they have to keep checking to make sure that I didn't go unconscious. So I can't really sleep for a long period like that. I'll be getting really short naps, which puts you in to another state of delirium, by the way."
Listen to David Blaine On Logistics Of Prolonged Hanging Upside Down:
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David Blaine Says He Won't Be Able To Sustain Sleep:
