Artists perform during a dress rehearsal for Quidam, a show by Cirque du Soleil, in London, Jan. 4, 2014. (Reuters)
A Cirque du Soleil aerialist was injured when he plummeted from the straps he’d been swinging on and landed onstage during a high-flying performance Saturday night in Florida.
Video of the Tampa incident shows the man hovering about 15 feet above the audience before swinging back over the stage and then falling onto his side. Colleagues quickly rushed to his aid.
The severity of the performer’s injuries are still unclear, although witnesses told WFTS he was unresponsive when medical personnel rushed to attend to him.
The show, known as Volta, ended following the incident and guests were given notices that their tickets would be refunded, Fox 13 reports.
The acrobatic show has been held in a tent at the Tampa Greyhound Track since mid-February.
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Artists perform during Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai show in Bogota March 20, 2013. (Reuters)
A spokesperson for Cirque du Soleil released a statement to Fox 13 about the incident:
“One of the aerial straps artists of VOLTA by Cirque du Soleil fell during his performance on stage in Tampa. The artist was immediately carried out of stage to receive assistance.
“In order for the VOLTA team to focus on the health of the artist, the rest of the show has been canceled. We will stay in contact with the members of the audience who had purchased tickets for the show,â€� the statement continued.
This isn’t the first time a Cirque du Soleil performer has been injured on the job.
Former Olympian Lisa Skinner lost her grip during a solo aerial hoops act in November 2016 and plummeted about 16 feet to the floor. She had to be put in a neck brace before being transported to the hospital.
In October 2013, veteran acrobat Sarah Guyard-Guillot fell 94 feet to her death during the conclusion of a performance, which marked the first onstage fatality in Cirque du Soleil’s history.
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