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Magician David Blaine plans leap from 80ft column

James Palmer
Thursday 23 May 2002 00:00 BST
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The American illusionist David Blaine intends to leap from an 80ft column into a pile of cardboard boxes today, after spending two days and two nights perched on the column above Bryant Park in Manhattan.

Mr Blaine, 29, whose idol is Houdini, said yesterday he was "living on adrenaline" after spending 24 hours on the 22in platform. He had no safety net or airbag, only an ankle-high pair of handles to cling on to should the wind pick up.

He was preparing to make his plunge early this morning. "I'm trying to conserve every bit of energy that I have, because if I have no legs or back, I'm dead," he said from the top of the pole.

"There's no way I'm coming down without jumping. If they try to pull a crane up to get me down, I'll just jump and hope a miracle occurs."

In previous stunts, he has been encased in a block of ice for 60 hours and buried for seven days and nights in a transparent coffin.

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