Illusionist Escapes Imploding Building —Barely

Goth illusionist Criss Angel escaped an imploding hotel in Florida last night, reports Central Florida News. During the stunt, which aired live on A&E's Mindfreak, the daredevil had three and a half minutes to pick handcuffs and four padlocked doors before catching a helicopter on the roof. While Angel failed to beat the blast, he emerged unscathed moments later.

Angel said he chose the Spyglass Resort in Clearwater because no other city would agree to let him attempt the death-defying stunt. He dodged questions from St. Petersburg Times reporters on whether the outcome was planned, saying, "I flipped it on you, didn't I?" But the escape artist promised his mother this would be the last dangerous trick of his career. (More Criss Angel stories.)