Cirque du Soleil Accident: Performer Dies After Horrific Fall During Las Vegas Show (VIDEO)
A Cirque du Soleil accident has resulted in a performer's death at a show in Las Vegas this weekend.
The victim, 31-year-old Sarah Guyard, fell as she was being hoisted up by a remote control line on Saturday. She was pronounced dead shortly before midnight, the Clark County, Nevada, medical examiner's office has reported.
The tragic accident took place during the show's finale, a Cirque Du Soleil spokeswoman has confirmed to media.
The finale sees various performers suspended up to 50 feet in the air via lines controlled remotely. Guillot-Guyard "was being hoisted up the side of the stage and then just plummeted down," witness Dan Mosqueda has told the Las Vegas Sun.
Many audience members did not immediately realize the seriousness of the fall and thought it might have been part of the act.
"Initially, a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the choreographed fight. But you could hear screaming, then groaning, and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage," Mosqueda has said.
The victim was French, and was reportedly an acrobat and aerialist who had more than 20 years experience.
The Cirque Du Soleil show has been canceled indefinitely at the venue, and a spokesperson has confirmed that the organization is "working with the appropriate authorities and have offered our full cooperation."
The spokesperson said, "We are reminded, with great humility and respect, how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family."
Here is a video news report into the tragic accident and death at the Las Vegas Cirque Du Soleil performance:
