It’s always very shocking when accidents happen in what is supposed to be a happy time. That is exactly what happened Sunday afternoon in Rhode Island at a performance of the Ringling Brothers Circus, when an aerial performance went wrong. In the incident eight acrobatic performers were injured, and one dancer below.
A video from the performance was put up just moment after the accident. In total nine people were injured when a trapeze prop that was dangling the performers collapsed with the performers still attached. Emergency medical services were on the scene and the performers were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Warning-The video shows the accident, and may be disturbing to some.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4IG_kgdcy8
A spokesman for the circus confirmed that a the metal frame that the performers were hanging from tore from a metal truss, sending the eight performers to the ground and onto a dancer 30 feet below. The remaining shows for today have been cancelled, and investigators will determine the cause of the accident and see if the show can indeed go on in it’s current state.
While all performers did sustain serious injuries, they don’t appear to be life threatening.
While many animal activists will quote serious injuries involving animals in the past, the circus has changed with the times, and has been a safe form of entertainment for many years. Accidents do happen, unfortunately, which is part of the risk of working with the circus, and part of the allure for many people who go to the circus.
Our thoughts go out to the performers and their families, and wish them a speedy recovery.
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