US daredevil plunges to earth in a coffin

A daredevil freed himself from handcuffs and a locked coffin while plummeting to earth at 130mph, eventually parachuting gently into a field.

Anthony Martin, 47, waved to the cameras and the crowd that turned out to watch his stunt after he landed at a farm in Serena, Illinois, on Tuesday.

Mr Martin said the escape was exhilarating but that he was disoriented because the plywood coffin whipped wildly from side to side and he struggled to open the door. “I had a glimpse of the ground for a second then it [the door] came back and I had to give it another push,” he said.

AP