How A Lacey Woman Endured 30 Hours In A Six Flags Coffin

JACKSON, NJ — She came, she saw, she ate pork brains, she touched a jar of cockroaches, she laid in a coffin for 30 hours, and she conquered. Lacey resident Kerri Platt emerged from her grave Monday, placing second in the Six Flags 30-Hour Coffin Challenge.

Platt and five other contestants laid in coffins Sunday to Monday at Six Flags Great Adventure. They participated in various challenges to earn points for prizes. Platt never participated in anything like this before. But with her birthday coming up — she turned 48 Tuesday — Platt thought this was as good a time as any.

"I just thought it seemed like a really cool thing and that I could just push myself to do it and that my kids would think it was great," Platt told Patch, giving a special shout out to her biggest cheerleader, husband Mike. "The support’s been amazing."

The following tests challenged Platt the most:

• The Zombie Challenge: contestants placed pork brains from a can into a bowl with milk. Then they had to eat the brains and drink the milk.
• Participants received extra points by giving up their pillows at about 9 p.m. Sunday.
• Contestants got bathroom breaks every three hours. But with three hours left, they were offered another challenge. They could earn extra points by drinking a full bottle of water and forgoing their last bathroom break — they were allowed one every three hours.
• The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Challenge: Contestants stuck their hand into a jar of cockroaches and had to find two pieces of candy corn in there. Platt won the challenge by finding the candy corn faster than anyone.

Challenges were optional, but Platt endured them all. She thought about past trials and tribulations. Platt nearly died while birthing her children. Last year, she saved her mother's life by donating a kidney.

"I just knew I couldn’t give up," Platt said. "I said, ‘I may not win first prize. I may come in sixth, but that’s OK.’ I pushed myself through every single challenge."

Six Flags held a "Raising from the Dead" ceremony at 8:30 p.m. Monday. Platt emerged from her coffin a runner-up. She won several prizes, including two Six Flags gold passes. Platt even received a signed photo from guest emcee Butch Patrick, who played Eddie in "The Munsters."

Platt feels open to engaging in similar challenges, as long as they don't involve her one true fear: heights.

"I’m a huge fan of ‘Big Brother,’ ‘Survivor,’ ‘Fear Factor,’ and this was kind of like all of that all in one," she said. "I actually applied for ‘Survivor’ 10 years ago, and I didn’t get picked. So maybe I’ll try again."

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