Stuntman Thanks Lucky Stars for Chan

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/05/2001 at 10:36 AM EDT

Jackie Chan's power isn't only limited to the box office. It turns out that his might extends to real life, too. That's what stuntman Chung "Andy" Cheng-kai, who worked on the martial arts star's last movie, "Rush Hour 2," told Reuters on Thursday, when it was revealed that Chan, 47, saved Andy's life when a boat stunt on the movie went awry. "If it wasn't for Jackie, I would have died," said the stuntman. In a fight scene in the movie, which was filmed about a year ago in Hong Kong, Chan kicked two people off a moving boat. One stuntman quickly emerged from the water, but Andy became trapped underneath. Andy said his head slammed against the underside of the boat, where he tried to avoid the propellers. He struggled to get back to the surface but remained stuck. That's when Chan came to the rescue. Just when he thought he could not hold out any longer, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out from under the boat. It was Chan. "I feel like a god grabbed me and pulled me out the water," Andy said, "A moment later, I would have been dead. He save my life. He give me second life."