Blaine's Hands, Feet Return to Normal

May 10, 2006 — -- David Blaine says he knew before he attempted to break the world record for holding his breath that he wouldn't succeed.

"Right before the stunt took place, I knew in my heart that I wasn't going to be able to do it, but I thought I would give it my best shot," he said.

After a week submerged in a saltwater tank at New York's Lincoln Center, Blaine's shriveled hands and feet looked like something out of a horror movie. After about 36 hours out of the tank, they returned to normal, but the illusionist is still in pain.

Blaine's skin is no longer shriveled, but "all the oil is gone, so it feels really strange," he said. He also has rashes and blisters from the sun -- he suffered bad burns because the spherical tank magnified its effects.

"Ironically, the feet and hands recovered the quickest," he said. "The thing that hurts the most is all of the muscles have shooting pain."

Blaine's muscles began to bother him when he was still underwater. He says the pain is from "the weightlessness and the starvation." All week, Blaine received his nourishment through a tube.

He was well aware of his diminished physical state before his grand finale, in which he tried to free himself from handcuffs and shackles while holding his breath for 9 minutes. He was attempting to break the world record of 8 minutes and 58 seconds.

"The day of the stunt, I had a bad feeling about it all," Blaine said. "But I figured I'd put on the best try that I could."

"I do feel that I failed, but at the same time I feel that I dreamed up this crazy thing and so I feel super lucky."

So, would he pull this stunt again?

"Not that one," he said, quickly.