All laughs aside, David Blaine risks stroke with latest feat
10:35 a.m. Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New York City — David Blaine has survived water, ice, burial and now he's hanging around, upside down.
All week TV cameramen have been flipping their camera upside down to let the views see things from Blaine's perspective.
Blaine's latest endurance test is to hang upside down for two and a half days. The height above ground ranged from five stories to five feet.
To pass the time dangling above Central Park, Blaine poses with fans, he signs autographs, and he was sighted holding a newspaper.
David Blaine's televised event
You can see the final night of David Blaine's endurance test on KTKA 49 ABC. "David Blaine: Dive of Death" promises to amaze viewers. The two-hour show will be broadcast at 8 p.m. tonight. Learn more about the event here.
"When I saw him reading the paper upside down, this guy is crazy," one visitor said.
Actually that was just a photo op for the paper he was holding.
Blaine is constantly giving interviews upside down. TV show host Kelly Ripa had the most unusual one, hanging upside down herself.
Back in the studio, Regis Philbin tried to pawn off camera work as his stunt, but he wasn't actually hanging upside down. Still, the crowd got a kick out of it.
Being suspended upside down for a long time could lead to stroke or blindness, so don't try this at home like a Pittsburgh radio DJ known as Bubba did.
Within minutes Bubba turned red, felt dizzy and soon couldn't take it anymore.
He lasted a mere 16 minutes.
Now imagine two and a half days.
Blaine does get to be upright for bathroom breaks to empty his catheter. He stopped eating solids 10 days ago to eliminate elimination.
There he hangs, night and day.
He does crunches to lift his head upright and moves his legs around to help the circulation.
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