David Blaine was not harnessed to the column in any way -- the only safety precaution were two handles placed at his feet, which he could grip in the event of strong winds. Blaine is often said to try to emulate the legendary magician, Harry Houdini. David Blaine's public spectacles tend more toward endurance tests (in the past he has been frozen in a block of ice for 61 hours and been buried underground for a week) than magical tricks.

In preparation for this challenge, David Blaine trained extensively. He fasted to lower his body weight, practiced jumping from successively increasing heights, and even broke a couple ribs and got whiplash in the process.

At 10:50 p.m. on Wednesday night, David Blaine jumped from the platform into a pile of cardboard boxes waiting below. A huge crowd of spectators had convened in New York City's Bryant Park to watch the event. David Blaine emerged from the boxes seemingly safe and was taken away in an ambulance.