Modern-day Houdini Daniel Hunt, 29, nearly came a cropper while executing his escape from a “death tank” in front of 3,500 magicians at a festival in Blackpool.

In the stunt, his own version of Houdin’s water torture cell, Mr Hunt was handcuffed with his hands secured at his waist.

He was then lowered head-first into a perspex box where his neck was held in place in place with two stocks, which his assistant Miss Claire secured with four padlocks.

The box then filled with water, leaving Mr Hunt with just a short amount of time to escape, but things did not go entirely according to plan and almost ended in tragedy for the former illusionist.

He said: “We almost had an accident when I ended up being suspended upside down for longer than I should have been at the Blackpool Opera House in front of 3,500 magicians.

“The stage crew worked like maniacs to get it sorted. By the time we got the power back my ears started to ring and I did not feel too good at all.”

But despite the pleas of his friends, Mr Hunt was determined to put the close shave behind him and repeated the stunt to open an exhibition in Bradford.

And proving he hadn’t lost his touch, he was able to free himself in just two minutes.

Mr Hunt has previously recreated several of Houdini’s famous escapes, including getting out of a milk churn and escaping from a straitjacket, while suspended on a burning rope 90ft in the air.

He also recreated an escape from a jail cell where Dick Turpin spent his last night alive.

Mr Hunt and his partner Annette Claire, 24, who go by the name Amethyst, had rehearsed at Seamer Memorial Hall in the run-up to his latest performance.

The couple, of Seamer, have worked with some of the country’s top performers including Freddie Starr and Bradley Walsh.