A Lithuanian brother and sister who spent almost three days frozen in a block of ice have been rewarded for their “brave” feat by the government, a television report said on Thursday.
Circus veterans Arvydas and Diana Gaiciunai were awarded 5 000 litas (about R11 100) each and given gifts by Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas on Wednesday, LNK television reported.
The Gaiciunais claimed an unofficial world record after spending 63 hours and 31 minutes in a 12-tonne ice cube set on a stage in the Lithuanian beach resort of Palanga at the beginning of April.
Brazauskas thanked the pair for their “brave work, which required determination and encouraged them to glorify Lithuania’s name with more original achievements in the future”, the report said.
“We were pleased by the prime minister’s congratulations. Such moments give us strength for new challenges, which could promote Lithuania’s name,” the siblings said in a statement.
The previous record for staying encased in an ice cube was 61 hours and 40 minutes, set by United States magician David Blaine in 2000. — AFP