Shocking footage shows the moment an acrobat falls after performing a somersault atop a spinning wheel during daring circus stunt
- An acrobat narrowly avoided serious injury when he fell during a circus stunt
- He performed a somersault on top of a spinning wheel and appeared to miss a step, plummeting to the ground as the audience watched on in horror
- The acrobat was taken to hospital with bruising but no broken bones
- The Garden Bros. Circus performance continued on and the acrobat was expected to take part in future shows
Shocking footage shows the moment a circus performer fell during a daring stunt in Ohio.
The Garden Bros. Circus acrobat was taking part in a stunt that required him to maintain balance on top of two wheels rotating in a circle at the Huntington Center in Toledo.
Footage recorded by by circus-goer Amber Ledford shows the artist, who has not been named, falling from a large circus wheel which appears to be a few feet away from the ground.
Footage shows the moment an acrobat fell, (circled in red), after performing a somersault on top of a rotating wheel at a circus in Toledo, Ohio
He had been standing on top of it and then performed a somersault, attempting to land on top of the wheel. But it appears that he missed a step and then tumbled head-first towards the ground.
The crowd reacted in shock and screams can be heard before paramedics rush to the scene to help the acrobat.
The fall happened as the wheel rotated closer to the ground and not at its highest point, which could have resulted in more serious injuries for the performer.
The acrobat was standing on top of the wheel, (left), and performed a somersault before he fell
His partner, (pictured), was performing a stunt in another wheel and watched as he fell
His partner eventually got down from his own wheel and rushed down a ladder to help him.
The show eventually continued while first responders attended to the performer.
Huntington General Manager Steve Miller told WTOL that the performer was taken to hospital on Monday night and has since been released.
Miller said that he suffered no broken bones, only bruising, and it is hoped he will rejoin the act on Tuesday.
The performer did a somersault and appeared to miss landing on the wheel before he fell
The crowd can be heard reacting in shock and screams can be heard before paramedics rush to the scene to help the acrobat, (pictured)
The circus has two Tuesday shows scheduled at Huntington, and will continue with performances set for nearly every day through June at different venues in the Midwest and California.
It is not the first time that a performer has died while taking part in a circus.
Yann Arnaud, 38, plunged about 20 feet to his death during an aerial straps routine at a Cirque De Soleil performance Tampa on March 17.
The circus troupe reopened their postponed show in New Jersey last month with a speech to honor Arnaud as they embarked on their first performance without him.
Arnaud died after an aerial straps routine went wrong, causing him to fall.
The acrobat was performing as part of the Garden Bros Circus which took place in Toledo, Ohio Monday night at the Huntington Center
He died from his injuries at Tampa General Hospital hours after the horrific incident on the touring show.
‘While he was performing the aerial straps number, long-time aerialist, Yann Arnaud, fell onto the stage,’ the statement from Cirque du Soleil read after the fatal performance.
‘Emergency procedures were immediately activated and Yann was transported to the nearest hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries,’ the statement added.
Just hours before his death, Arnaud posted excitedly about getting to debut his ‘straps duo act’ with aerial artist Pawel Walczewski.
‘After so much work and training and staging, our straps duo act is finally in the show tonight,’ Arnaud wrote in the caption. ‘It’s time to go for it.’