WHITE DEATH

White Death - Criss takes the "Buried Alive" escape attempt to an unprecedented level, adding the extra weight and freezing temperatures of snow and ice. Shackled and placed in a transparent coffin before hundreds of fans and his concerned family and then buried in ice and snow, Criss must escape his bonds and dig himself out of impossible conditions before succumbing to hypothermia, suffocation or the possibility of the ground collapsing from the weight of the snow. Many who have attempted similar escapes have perished and Houdini refused to do it again after a near death experience, so Criss must rigorously train to be prepared, especially for these nearly impossible conditions.

Demonstration Facts

• This demonstration takes place on Mammoth Mountain, in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas of California, 10,000 feet above sea level. The air at this altitude has 20% less oxygen then normal.
• Criss will have to maneuver out of handcuffs and get out of a locked coffin before beginning the most challenging portion of the escape: digging through six feet of ice and snow. When buried in the snow (as in an avalanche) hypothermia can set in within 2 minutes.
• The temperature six feet below the surface of the snow will be below 20° F. At 53° F, nerve & muscle cells work more slowly, severely limiting manual dexterity.
• Hypothermia occurs when the core body temp falls below 95° F (from 98.6° F). At this temperature, body systems start shutting down.
• When buried in the snow, most die of asphyxiation, not hypothermia, within 2-3 minutes.
• Criss went through the most rigorous training techniques he has ever endured for this demonstration, including getting out of shackles in a 20° F walk-in freezer, and staying in an ice bath for over 20 minutes.