PTI

New York, May 9: Magician David Blaine, known for his endurance feats, failed to break the world record of 8 minutes 58 seconds of holding breath under water even as he spent 177 hours in an 8-ft aquarium.

The 33-year-old American held his breath for 7 minutes 8 seconds when divers went into the tank and brought him up after bubble started surfacing and his face showed that he was in pain.

He looked in pain as he came out to the cheers of thousands who had gathered to see the finale of his endurance feat. He was given oxygen for sometime immediately after he was brought out and he waved weakly as he came down the steps of the aquarium.

His hands and other parts of the body had developed some blisters and immediate concern of the medical staff was whether he could move his fingers.

Magician's trainer Kirk Krack, who himself is a diving expert, talked to him calmly through two-way communication system and encouraged him as the performed his final act.

He was chained at eight places shortly before the finale and then he removed the tube from which supplied air to him as the count down started.

Head of his medical team Murat Gunel said Blaine has suffered liver damage, pins and needles in his feet and hands and some loss of sensation and had rashes all over his body in a feat which he was 'pushing his body to insanely to limits'.

He was given liquid food and his condition was monitored round the clock by the medical team.

His earlier stunts include spending 61 hours in a block of ice, 44 days in a box suspended over Thames in London and one week buried in a coffin.