An acrobat has died in Russia three weeks after he fell as he performed a daring circus aerial stunt with his twin brother.
Anton Martynov, 33, plunged from a height of around 20ft suffering two breaks in his spinal cord and a serious head injury.
He awoke from a coma last week and his condition was ‘stable’, with doctors talking about his ‘rehabilitation’.
He was being prepared for a move to another hospital – but ‘his heart suddenly stopped beating’.
Anton Martynov, 33, plummeted 20ft and into the ground causing two breaks in his spinal cord and a serious head injury forcing doctors to put him in an artificial coma
His twin Roman and wife Anna were at his bedside.
A video showed the horrendous moment when he fell at a circus in the Russian city of Elista.
There was no safety net.
A belt used in the act had slipped out of a carabiner – a metal ring with a spring clip – causing a cable to come loose, resulting in the horrific fall, said circus officials.
He was performing with his twin Roman for the Mstislav Zapashny circus in Moscow which was on tour was the accident happened.
His brother has not spoken about the tragedy.
The stuntman was performing an act he has practised ‘hundreds of times’ to an audience of children and their parents when he fell
After the fall a doctor caring for him said: ‘His condition is grave, but there is no threat to life.’
Four days before his death a bulletin said: ‘His condition is stable, his temperature is normal. His mother, brother and wife are with him.
‘He is under the constant supervision of doctors. Now Anton needs rehabilitation after his trauma.’
The circus owners are to pay for his funeral.
The stuntman was performing an act he has practised ‘hundreds of times’ to an audience of children and their parents when he fell. He was not wearing any safety equipment when he crashed onto the hard circus floor.
He was not wearing any safety equipment when he crashed onto the hard circus floor
Initially, there were reports a cable had broken but it later emerged a belt used in the act had slipped out of a carabiner – a metal ring with a spring clip.
Mr Martynov, was on tour with the Mstislav Zapashny circus from Moscow when the accident happened.
Circus tour official Parviz Gadzhiyev said: ‘It was not a broken cable. It was due to a belt coming out of a carabiner.
‘This can be seen even on the video. The artists were performing without safety devices. Now an investigation is underway.’
The circus is continuing the tour.