U.S. daredevil Anthony Martin is preparing for what his closest associates consider one of his most dangerous stunts ever - on Tuesday he plans to be locked in a wooden box that will be pushed out of an airplane at 14,500 feet.

"We're shoving it out the door," Martin's longtime skydiving stunt coordinator, Rook Nelson, said.

Martin, 47, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, figures he has about 40 seconds to pick the lock and escape from the box, which will be falling at a speed of 120 miles an hour. A slight miscalculation could mean death.

The Skyvan twin-turbine plane is due to take off from an airstrip near Ottawa, Illinois, south of Chicago at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT). Martin and his box are to be dropped over a field at Serena, about five miles away.

Martin, a veteran daredevil, is trying to duplicate a stunt he pulled off successfully 25 years ago. Nelson said he has spoken with Martin about the stunt many times and is confident he can pull it off again. When asked if he considered it highly dangerous, he said, "Oh, absolutely."

"There is no key," Nelson said. "He has to pick the lock."

Martin was not available for interviews Tuesday morning. Nelson said Martin had gone into seclusion to prepare.

According to the plan, two skydivers will jump along with Martin to stabilize the box as it falls. The skydivers will not be able to open the box and rescue Martin if his lock picking skills fail him, Nelson said.

Martin's personal website says he has escaped from handcuffs and manacles while skydiving, got out of locked prison cells after being put in a straight jacket and escaped from a locked steel safe.


http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9750YN20130806?feedType=RSS&irpc=935

Waiting mood activated till Tuesday.

R.I.P