David Blaine, up there… in the Arizona sky, dominating a grandiose setting. One of the most famous American magicians decided to take flight thanks to huge multicolored balloons filled with helium. A flight of about half an hour before exceeding 7,500 meters in altitude. He then detached himself from his balloons to offer himself a free fall for a few seconds before triggering the opening of his parachute and landing safely …
Magician David Blaine performed his last stunt yesterday. It climbed nearly 7,620 meters into the Arizona sky while suspended from giant balloons before parachuting safely to Earth.
“It’s like magic, I feel like I’m floating in the air”Blaine told his team of ground assistants over a radio after gently taking off from a desert airstrip in Page, Ariz., connected to dozens of balloons.
The illusionist left around 7:30 a.m. local time. He gradually released small weights to speed his ascent, donned a parachute in midair, and strapped on an oxygen mask as he approached 8,960 meters, an altitude where most commercial airliners travel.
Blaine, 47, has achieved high-level, high-risk endurance feats in the past. His stunts include locking himself in a fishbowl, getting trapped in a block of ice for two days in Times Square, and standing freely atop a thin, tall pillar for 35 hours in New York City.
Wednesday’s stunt lasted about 30 minutes. Reaching an altitude slightly higher than Mount Everest, Blaine freed himself from the balloon cluster and performed a free fall for about 30 seconds before deploying a parachute to slow his descent.
“Wow, that was awesome”Blaine yelled into his radio as he stood back on the ground. The exploit was broadcast on YouTube.
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