I saw this done before. It's a great way to scam money out of people. There is a racthet device that's made of stainless steel. It extends inside of his boots all the way up to his neck. That's the reason for all the clothes. The device is made to lock at a certain angle, that is why he couldn't go down any further. The device isn't that strong, which is why he needed help. If he tried to do it on his own he would have went down too fast creating enough pressure to break the device.
Sorry for giving away your secret.
the old time illusionists used to use a ratchet device hidden in their clothes,it would go down one pant leg,and all the way up their body,with straps to stabilize them.not sure if thats his trick or not.if he could levitate he wouldn't have needed help up,would he?