Circus acrobat falls 33ft performing Giant Wheel of Death in front of children
A night at the circus turned to horror when a performer fell more than 30ft as shocked families, including young children, watched on.
Two brothers had been performing on the Giant Wheel of Death, in which two acrobats perform synchronised moves on a rotating piece of equipment, last night when disaster struck. In shocking scenes at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth one of the performers suddenly fell around 33ft (ten metres) and was helped by an off duty police officer and a paramedic who had been watching in the audience. He was then taken to James Paget University Hospital with his shocked brother.
The acrobat was rushed to hospital (BBC)
Police say the injured man had severe injuries (BBC)Circus ringmaster Jack Jay told the BBC: “He was fully conscious after the fall and two members of the audience, believed to be an off-duty police officer and a paramedic, came forward to help. It looked like miss-timing. He went to jump through one of the wheels and slipped, landing on the floor."
The acrobat is believed to have suffered “broken bones” in the fall and Mr jay added an investigation by health and safety teams is set to get underway. Police and ambulance services have been approached for comment by the Mirror.
This morning Poplars Primary School cancelled their trip after last night's incident. In a post on Facebook the school wrote: "Dear Parents/Carers, Unfortunately the Circus trip today has had to be cancelled.
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"Sadly one of the performers at the Circus had an accident during a show yesterday evening and they have made the difficult decision to cancel today's shows.
"If your child was due to bring a home packed lunch today, please still do this. Free School Meal pupils will still have a school packed lunch provided. We send our best wishes to the performer and the Hippodrome Circus family."
A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said: “Police were called at 7:37pm last night (Wednesday 13 December 2023) to the Hippodrome on St George’s Road, Great Yarmouth to reports that a man had fallen from a height. The man sustained serious, potentially life-changing injuries, and was taken by ambulance to the James Paget Hospital, and later transferred to Addenbrookes Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
“A seal was put in place at the scene overnight, but this has since been lifted. Officers are working with the local authorities to establish the circumstances that led to the incident.”
A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service added: "One ambulance, one rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and East Anglian Air Ambulance were called to St George's Road, Great Yarmouth last night (13) following reports of a man injured in a fall. One patient was transported to James Paget Hospital by road ambulance with serious injuries."
Earlier this year a trapeze acrobat was left fighting for her life after she plunged 16ft into a big top circus ring in , with footage capturing the horror moment she fell. Maria Smetanova, 23, was seen motionless after plunging to the ground in a hard fall which caused her to fracture her spine.
Children and parents watching the circus performance saw her plunge to the ground at the event in Barnaul, a city in Siberia. In footage taken of the horrifying accident, they are heard screaming with shock as she falls after losing her grip on an aerial swing during her act.
A male circus worker was seen rushing to her aid but it was clear she was motionless and unconscious. He was seen pleading for urgent medical help and appears scared to move her in case he makes her injuries worse. There was no safety net to catch her so she hit the hard ground.
Telegram channel 112, which focuses on emergencies, reported: "The woman was urgently hospitalised." Audience members were offered refunds after the shocking accident but the circus show continued.
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