The A.V. Club reports via The New York Daily News that experimental musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson found herself trapped inside of a hyperbaric chamber at New York City's Pure Flow spa on Wednesday. The chamber, which The A.V. Club describes as "basically a person-sized box that is pumped full of oxygen," reportedly malfunctioned when the 67-year-old Anderson attempted to leave it, but found the zipper to be stuck. Feeling a shortness of breath, Anderson texted a friend for help, who then called 911. Anderson managed to escape the chamber on her own before the FDNY arrived.
According to the Daily News, "Pure Flow owner Andrew Barile said the woman was inside the chamber for 45 minutes and suggested she fell asleep and became disoriented after waking up." Barile claims that the hyperbaric chamber didn't malfunction, but rather, "There was a miscommunication on the timing." As for Anderson's well being after the incident, a neighbor of Anderson's told the Daily News, "She is shaken up, but she's ok." Anderson chose not to receive any medical treatment once she was freed from the chamber.
The A.V. Club points out that Pure Flow spa "charges between $100 and $2100" for a session inside of the oxygen-filled chamber.
Laurie Anderson first rose to prominence in the art world in the late '60s and early '70s for her performance art pieces. She became widely known outside of the art world in 1981 when her single "O Superman" became an unexpected hit in the United Kingdom. Anderson began dating legendary musician Lou Reed in 1992, and the two were married from 2008 until Reed's death last year.
Check out this video for "O Superman" below:
