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Escape artist almost dies following 'buried alive' charity attempt

Antony Britton was attempting to escape single-handed from under six feet of earth.

AN ENGLISH ESCAPOLOGIST almost came to a horrible end during a ‘buried alive’ escape attempt at a charity event.

Escape-expert Antony Britton was trying his hand at escaping from being buried, handcuffed, beneath six feet (six tonnes) of soil without a casket when he got into severe difficulty.

The event was being run at the in aid of Britton’s Escape for Life charity at the Slaithwaite Spa Park Festival in West Yorkshire, England, last Saturday 5 September.

The ‘buried alive’ escape is one that has confounded many escapologists, most famously Harry Houdini who came as close as breaking the topsoil with his hand before having to be rescued in 1915.

After Britton had been buried for nine minutes and his colleagues could no longer hear him breathing they dug him free using a mechanical digger.

After several minutes he was successfully revived by paramedics. He sustained cracked ribs and a collapsed lung during the ordeal.

“All I remember is, literally your life goes before your eyes. Really. And then I just passed out,” Britton told the Guardian.

The soil was landing on top of me and around the side of me. It was compacting and crushing me. Every single time another bucket came it was getting worse.

buried alive Antony Britton / Facebook Antony Britton / Facebook / Facebook

It’s unclear whether or not Britton will attempt the escape again, with some reports suggesting he is happy to leave it as a bridge better left uncrossed.

The Escape for Life Facebook page begs to differ however and says “Antony has vowed not to be beaten and that he will try the escape again”.

efl Escape for Life / Facebook Escape for Life / Facebook / Facebook

Read: Two boys used spades to ‘tunnel their way out of playschool’

Read: 7-year-old boy shot dead during birthday party in North Carolina

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25 Comments
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    Mute bacoxy
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:03 PM

    I’d say the poor lad was morto… He probably wanted the ground to open up and swallow him… Oh wait

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:57 PM

    Ha!

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    Mute MuckyMoo
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    Sep 9th 2015, 11:43 AM

    That is comment of the week hahah

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    Mute Tom Kelly
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:00 PM

    Tool

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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:21 PM

    “The soil was landing on top of me and around me…,,”
    what exactly was he expecting FFS!!!

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    Mute paddy Jennings
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:02 PM

    he could just have donated a few bob…. silly ass !!!!!!!

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    Mute james
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:02 PM

    Escape-expert? hmmm

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    Mute david dickson
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:00 PM

    He would make a good clown.

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    Mute stephen
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:20 PM

    His next attempt will be to escape from a crematorium while doused in petrol. The lad is a genius.

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    Mute Pharmyco
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:04 PM

    My advice would be to just not.

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    Mute jenni
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:07 PM

    f*cking muppet. And dont insult tools by calling him one.

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    Mute Red Marauder
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:10 PM

    For a moment there I thought he Was Spanish “Uno, dos…..” *POOF*….he disappeared without a tres.

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    Mute james
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:15 PM

    Christmas cracker joke.

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    Mute Cynical Samwidge
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:34 PM

    detached from reality this lad is? don’t do that again unless your plan is to stay down there.

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    Mute Mark Miller
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:57 PM

    He obviously never heard of the “three inch punch”. Rookie mistake.

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    Mute Barry Mitchell
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    Sep 9th 2015, 12:28 AM

    Headline should have been, ‘escape artist almost dies following failed escape attempt”!

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    Mute Charlie Mountney
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    Sep 8th 2015, 11:15 PM

    I would have thought that “during” the escape attempt would be a more correct headline. As it is it sounds like he escaped and then got run over by the digger or something.

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    Mute Montgomery
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    Sep 8th 2015, 11:02 PM

    Silly ass

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    Mute John Jefferies
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    Sep 8th 2015, 11:04 PM

    This was tried by a Cobhman named Tim Hayes nearly 50 years ago http://www.rte.ie/archives/2013/0123/364071-buried-alive/

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Sep 8th 2015, 11:34 PM

    Yes but he had oxygen and a coffin as far as I remember

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    Mute Liam Bradley
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    Sep 8th 2015, 11:55 PM

    It was performed by Harry Houdini exactly 100 years ago.

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Sep 8th 2015, 10:33 PM

    Don’t meet your troubles half way!!!!

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    Mute Dee on Doc
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    Sep 9th 2015, 1:45 AM

    Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head…

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    Mute Graham Kelly
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    Sep 9th 2015, 8:44 AM

    Future ‘Darwin Award’ recipient

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    Mute Antony Britton
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    Sep 13th 2015, 11:17 AM

    Thank you for your great comments :) always love reading them.I did read here “he could just have donated a few bob…. silly ass !!!!!!!” yes I could but you are missing the point Escape for Life put on live entertainment for the public where they can come and enjoy music and other performances for FREE and we raise money and awareness for charity as well as Escape for Life help local communities. This escape is a 100 year old challenge.
    So all that said if by putting on a FREE show for the public makes me a Silly Ass then I will except that :)
    By the way please feel free on donating https://www.justgiving.com/Antony-Britton.. x

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