David Blaine’s relocated balloon stunt went high into the sky and returned the illusionist safely to the ground.
Blaine had planned to fly over New York using only helium balloons, but moved the stunt to Arizona because of weather and logistics, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Blaine was lashed onto about 50 balloons filled with helium, soaring to just over 19,000 feet in 40 minutes.
That’s over three-and-a-half miles.
He then maxed out at 24,900 feet, or about 4.7 miles, before parachuting to the ground.
Blaine’s trip took a total of about an hour.
The stunt was called Ascension, and he live-streamed video and audio for a YouTube Originals show, USA Today reported.
He said the stunt was done for his daughter, Dessa. The latex balloons he used could be deflated or even popped by remote if needed. One was made of fiberglass and had a parachute, oxygen and a camera, USA Today reported.
The trip was not without dangers, as temperatures dipped the higher he climbed, and thre was a risk of hypoxia, or low oxygen, in his tissues, according to USA Today.
Cox Media Group
