Yesterday’s Criss Angel street performance in downtown New Brunswick almost turned deadly for a performer named Spencer Horsman.
Angel and his troupe of magicians, which includes Horsman, have been preparing for several months for their world tour, “Criss Angel and the Supernaturalists,” which opens this Friday.
On the afternoon of September 15, Angel and his troupe decided to give fans a preview of the show, reports Pix11, by performing one illusion for free on the street out in front of the theater in which the shows would take place.
For the trick, Angel’s associate stepped into a glass box filled with water and allowed himself to be tied up with chains that had 16 locks on them. A lid was then put on the box, the chamber was lifted into the air by a crane, and he was given two and a half minutes to escape.
Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as Criss and his crew had no doubt planned.
Spectators agreed afterwards that Horsman had no trouble unlocking the locks that bound him with a lock pick he had been given, but he struggled when it came time to open the lock that was actually keeping the box sealed.
“He went over the two and a half minutes he was allotted to get out of handcuffs and out of chains. After two and a half minutes, they lowered the box, and EMS pulled him out of the water.”
According to a spokesperson related to the show, Horsman was disoriented but still able to walk after he was let out, and he was escorted into an ambulance by a concerned Criss Angel.
The police that assisted at the scene claimed that Criss had told them Horsman’s transport to the hospital was all “part of the act,” but Angel himself quickly dispelled these claims in a news release.
“I am sorry that the outcome was not as planned. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers,” Criss said.
Many Criss Angel fans were not as surprised by the stunt’s nearly fatal failure as they might have been, though, had Horsman not have failed this exact same stunt at a “Criss Angel and the Supernaturalists” rehearsal two months ago.
Horsman even publicized his previous failure as a way to get audiences more excited for his reprise of the illusion in the post below. Be warned that the embedded video could be seen as disturbing.
https://instagram.com/p/7oKu3zFcMi/
Angel has been combing the world for the past 10 years to find the best illusionists to take part in “The Supernaturalists,” so it is sure to be quite a tour. Just don’t expect to see Horsman attempt the water torture cell stunt again.
[Photo via Ethan Miller/Getty Images and Matthew Peyton/Getty Images]