Cirque du Soleil Performer Falls To His Death During Show In Tampa

An acrobat died after falling 15 feet during a solo routine at a Tampa Bay performance of VOLTA by Cirque du Soleil. The company confirmed the tragic news in a statement released on Twitter

It is with immense sadness that Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group reports that a tragic accident occurred last night, March 17, during a performance of its show VOLTA, in Tampa, Florida. While he was performing the aerial straps number, long-time aerialist, Yann Arnaud, fell onto the stage. Emergency procedures were immediately activated and Yann was transported to the nearest hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries.

Video footage obtained by the Tampa Bay Times showed that Yann Arnaud appeared to lose his grip on a strap and fell fifteen feet to the ground. Medical professionals rushed to the stage and transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Julian Martinez, who was in the audience, spoke with News Channel 8 and said it was a "traumatizing" sight especially for the young children who were watching. 

"It was awful, you heard all the cries of the audience. There were children there and they were freaking out," he said.

Cirque du Soleil canceled the show, and the rest of the weekend performances, following the accident and attendees were told they would receive refunds. 

They said they are investigating the accident and "are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities."

We are currently gathering more information about this tragic event. We are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident. 


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