A body discovered in the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India, has been identified as that of magician Chanchal Lahiri.
After a crane lowered Lahiri into the water, he did not reappear after around 30 minutes, and authorities were alerted, the outlet reported. “We fear he drowned in the river,” Raza told theAgence France Presseat the time.
Chanchal Lahiri.BBC
TheBBC reportedon Monday that a body “resembling” Lahiri had been found, but had not yet been identified.
In a video from the BBC, the magician explained the trick he was about to attempt. “The magic we are going to do today is so risky,” Lahiri said in the video. “First, my hands will be tied behind my back with a rope.”
“If I can open it up then it will be magic, but if I can’t it will be tragic,” Lahiri said before entering the water, according to theAFP. The outlet also stated he was attempting the trick to “revive interest in magic.”
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In 2013, Lahiri performed a similar illusion, escaping from a locked cage that had been submerged in the river,AFPreported, adding that onlookers at the time ended up assaulting the man after he escaped because they could see the door he had used to free himself.
One of Houdini’s most famous magic tricks wasescaping, after being handcuffed, from a boxthat was dumped into New York City’s East River in 1912. The first time he performed the stunt, Houdini emerged from the water after two and a half minutes,Gizmodoreported.
According to CNN, police are currently investigating the exact cause of Lahiri’s accident.
source: people.com
