Magician Rodd to attempt Houdini underwater escape

Rodd Hogg will do his own version of the ‘great escape’ in Carrickfergus Harbour on Saturday, June 22.

He will jump into the water from an Army helicopter and attempt to free himself from fully secured handcuffs.

Rodd’s stunt will be the climax to a local fun day and raise funds for Andy Allen’s Veteran Services NI (AAVSNI) - based in the Argyle Centre on Belfast’s Shankill Road - as part of this year’s Armed Forces Day.

He is delighted that Carrickfergus will host his escape project having been unable to find a suitable north coast location.

Rodd has been working for several months on the stunt and hopes big crowds turn up to support him.

He plans to film the entire escape and post it onto Youtube.

He recently announced his exciting plans on his Facebook page and Twitter account.

“This has never been attempted before in Northern Ireland so I’m very excited about it,” Rodd said.

“And if I can raise a lot money in the process for a very worthwhile charity then it will be worth it.

“I perform in the Harbour Wine Bar in Carrickfergus every other Saturday night so I want to thank them for their help in organising this.”

Family and friends from The Forge Bar in Coleraine where Rodd drinks will travel to Carrick for his much awaited performance.

“There’s a lot of buzz about it on Twitter so I’m hoping everyone comes along to see me.”

Rodd revealed that he has been taking ice-cold showers in the morning to prepare himself for the freezing water conditions.

American stunt man, Harry Houdini, first performed the underwater escape in New York’s East River on July 7, 1912

He was encased in a nailed and roped packing crate and lowered into water. Police forbade him from using one of the piers, so Houdini hired a tugboat and invited press on board.

Houdini was locked in handcuffs and leg-irons, then nailed into the crate which was roped and weighed down with two hundred pounds of lead.

He escaped in fifty-seven seconds. He extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets underwater, and having to hold his breath inside a sealed milk can.

Rodd has been travelling the length and breadth of the country performing his magic at clubs, pubs and weddings.

He recently wowed members of the Northern Ireland football team with an impromptu performance in the Culloden Hotel at Cultra.

Rodd’s prediction to be revealed on radio

RODD will reveal his prediction of a Coleraine Times headline live on Q97 Radio later this month.

Last month the magician has sealed his prediction in a white envelope which was stamped and locked away in bank vault at First Trust Bank in Coleraine.

The prediction will refer to a headline which will appear in our paper on Wednesday, April 17.

On that day around 11.20am Rodd will reveal if he got it right on Barry Owler’s morning show.

So make sure you tune in on the day folks...!