14 DAY TRIAL // Although the Guinness Book Of World Records neither encourages nor acknowledges stunts like burying yourself alive, this Sri Lankan illusionist chased fame until it led him to an untimely demise.
Janaka Basnayake dug a trench with the aid of his family and friends in Kantale, 137 miles (220km) from the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo.
On March 3, he attempted to stay buried from 9:30 AM until 4 PM the next day. The more than 30 hours spent in a grave 3 meters underground took a toll.
By the time he was recovered and taken to a hospital, there was nothing the doctors could do. Dr. Costa of the Kantale hospital stated the young man was dead on arrival and that there would be tests to determine the exact cause of death.
He had previous military experience, having been enrolled in the Sri Lankan Civil Defense Force. He was attempting to break the world record for most hours spent in a grave, but managed to commit suicide in the process, the DailyMail reported at the time.
Mrs. Leelawathi, Janaka's mother, said this wasn't the first time her son had buried himself alive to test his survival skills. In one occasion, he was underground for 2 and-a-half hours, while the second time for more than 6 hours.
American illusionist David Blaine had previously survived a similar experience. In 1999, he was locked inside a plastic coffin underneath a 3-ton tank filled with water. He managed to stay in the see-through tomb for seven days. As the Guinness Book of Records opposes live burials, there is no telling who the current holder of this record is.
There was nothing left to do for the grieving family than bury the 24-year-old Basnayake one more time.