A circus performer plummeted to the floor after tumbling from a 'Wheel of Death' during a show.
The crowd at Blackpool Tower Circus, including children, looked on in horror as one of two performers on the rotating contraption fell during a show shortly after 5pm on Saturday afternoon, the Mirror has been told by an audience member.
Paramedics rushed to the side of the performer who was taken to hospital for treatment while the circus tent was evacuated, stunned audience members claimed after the accident. The individual is “recovering well” after sustaining the injury in a “Wheel of Faith” act during a circus show on Saturday, a spokesperson for Blackpool Tower said.
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The performer, who is being treated for a minor wrist injury, had been executing a rehearsed move under planned conditions, the spokesperson said. Circus performances at Blackpool Tower will open as usual on Sunday, while affected guests have been provided with complimentary tickets for a future performance. A review of the act will now take place.
On Saturday, one man wrote on Twitter/X: "Serious accident at the Blackpool Tower Circus this afternoon. A circus performer fell several feet from the wheel of death stunt onto the circus floor. Paramedics rushed him to hospital and the circus was evacuated. Praying all is well,"
One mum watching the performance with her kids wished the acrobat a "speedy recovery" and praised staff for their "amazing" response. A third person wrote online: "In Blackpool Tower with the kids watching the circus when the bloke who was at the top of the wheel of death fell to the ground. Immediately all the audience were escorted out. I hope he is ok."
Another person claiming to have been at the show said on social media that the performer "lost [their] balance and fell", and was seen "rolling around shouting in pain grabbing his shoulder". All people at the show were evacuated "safely and calmly", they added.
The Wheel of Death is a staple of circuses across the country and the world. It involves two or more performers standing on wheels on the end of a long arm that rotates around a central axis.
Back in 1994 the act at Blackpool Tower Circus made headlines when a performer sadly died after plunging from the apparatus. Neville Campbell lost his life at the age of just 20 when he landed on his head during the act. In 2022 another acrobat fell performing the same act, thankfully suffering just minor injuries, the Daily Star reported.
A spokesperson for Blackpool Shows and Attractions told the publication at the time: “The Wheel Of Death is a very common circus act currently being performed at many UK touring circuses and indeed all over the world. It is a calculated risk and thankfully accidents are very rare. That said these fearless performers spend many years training to do these acts and live for the adrenalin and entertainment of the public.
