DAVID COPPERFIELD - COPPERFIELD'S ASSISTANT INJURED IN TRICK

COPPERFIELD'S ASSISTANT INJURED IN TRICK

An assistant working for DAVID COPPERFIELD has been hospitalised after one of the magician's tricks went awry.
The star was performing his show at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday (17Dec08) when a stunt involving an industrial fan went wrong and left a technician with serious injuries to his face and arms.
Copperfield was due to walk through the blades of the giant machine at the show's spectacular finale, but before he stepped into the device, one of the assistants who was working on the trick was pulled into the mechanism. Copperfield immediately ended the show, apologising to the audience and telling the crowd they were dealing with "an emergency".
The assistant, named only as Brandon, was rescued by fire crews and rushed to hospital, where he was treated for multiple lacerations, severe bleeding and multiple breaks in one arm.
A representative for Copperfield tells Us Weekly.com, "(The assistant) was accidentally pulled into the vortex of the moving fan blades, causing injury to his arm and face. The surgery was several hours wherein the doctors could insert pins and bolts. There was a puncture on his face requiring eight or nine stitches."
The spokesperson confirms that Copperfield waited at the hospital during the operation and presented Brandon with a gift - a children's magic set - when he woke up.
Copperfield has confirmed the rest of the week's shows will continue as usual and paid tribute to Brandon's bravery.
He says, "Many people assume that the death-defying illusions I do on stage are not dangerous. This unfortunate accident shows that couldn’t be further from the truth, and we’re just thankful that Brandon’s injuries weren’t worse."