Entertainment
Cirque Star Injured On Wheel Of Death During Vegas Show
JOE CAVARETTA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mexican performer Francisco Alegria perfroms on the ‘Wheel of Death’ during a Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A ‘Wheel of Death’ performer survived a fall Friday.
The “Wheel of Death” contraption used in the Cirque du Soleil show Zarkana in Las Vegas almost lived up to its name when an acrobat fell from the equipment during a performance and had to be rushed to the hospital.
This latest accident involving a member of the famous entertainment troupe comes less than five months after a female performance artist fell to her death in late June. Just last week, a judge ruled that Cirque would have to pay a fine of $30,000 following the investigation into her death which revealed that workplace safety regulations were not properly followed, resulting in the tragedy.
According to police reports, the unidentified performer was running on a moving piece of equipment named “The Wheel of Death” during a performance at the Aria Hotel when he suddenly slipped and plunged about 20 feet to the ground below.
It is traditional that Cirque shows do not use any form of nets or safety devices to catch performers who might fall.
A Cirque spokesman did confirm that the injured artist was transported to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas and is currently in stable condition. It is not know if he suffered permanent injuries in the accident.
The incident comes four months after the death of Sarah Guillot-Guyard, who fell 15 metres during a performance of the show Kà. On Oct. 29, Nevada authorities announced their intention to fine the company and the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas.
In 2009, a Cirque du Soleil performer died in a Montreal hospital after suffering head injuries when he fell off a trampoline while training.
The Cirque issued a statement saying Oleksandr Zhurov, a Ukrainian in his 20s, had died. The accident happened during a regular training session at a Montreal facility where the international troupe rehearses for shows.
A fallen performer is tended to on stage during a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday night
On the Web:
Cirque du Soleil performer injured after ‘Wheel of Death’ fall in Las Vegas
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stage/cirque-du-soleil-acrobat-injured-in-wheel-of-death-fall-20131104-2wvpj.html
Cirque du Soleil performer dies of head injuries
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cirque-du-soleil-performer-dies-of-head-injuries-1.783628