Russian acrobat plummets 20ft as circus stunt goes wrong

This is the terrifying moment an acrobat fell while performing a dating aerial stunt with his twin brother. 

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. 

The acrobat is now recovering in intensive care in Elista, Russia as his wife and twin brother wait at his bedside.   

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. 

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.

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

‘Now an investigation is underway.’

Local doctors held a video conference with specialists from Moscow to decide on the treatment. 

The circus said: ‘Anton is in intensive care, his condition is stable.’

‘A neurosurgeon is flying to examine him

‘His wife and brother are in the hospital.

‘They have a room in the ward.’

The circus is continuing the tour.  

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