Spectators at the Big Apple Circus last night watched in horror as a trapeze artist lost his grip and fell to the netting, only to bounce off and fly into the audience, landing on a little boy and his sister sitting in the front row.
The performer, Alexander Sotov, a member of the Russian flying Aniskin Troupe, and the 8-and 10-year kids, were visibly shaken but did not appear seriously injured, though all were taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital as a precaution, circus general manager Scott O’Donnell said.
“It’s not something that happens every day by any means. I’ve been in the circus industry for 23 years, and I’ve only seen that happen twice,” O’Donnell said.
The mishap occured during the last trick of the show’s last act under the big top at City Hall Plaza as Sotov was performing his most difficult stunt, three complete turns in the air. Troupe leader Oleg Aniskin, who was swinging by his knees on the catch bar, reached to catch Sotov but lost his grip as the trapeze artist’s momentum carried him backward, careening into the net.
“It’s a very freak occurrence, and thankfully so. But it’s one of the realities of live entertainment,” O’Donnell said. “People forget that it’s real people doing death-defying tricks. They’re professionally trained, but it’s live and real.”
The performer, Alexander Sotov, a member of the Russian flying Aniskin Troupe, and the 8-and 10-year kids, were visibly shaken but did not appear seriously injured, though all were taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital as a precaution, circus general manager Scott O’Donnell said.
“It’s not something that happens every day by any means. I’ve been in the circus industry for 23 years, and I’ve only seen that happen twice,” O’Donnell said.
The mishap occured during the last trick of the show’s last act under the big top at City Hall Plaza as Sotov was performing his most difficult stunt, three complete turns in the air. Troupe leader Oleg Aniskin, who was swinging by his knees on the catch bar, reached to catch Sotov but lost his grip as the trapeze artist’s momentum carried him backward, careening into the net.
“It’s a very freak occurrence, and thankfully so. But it’s one of the realities of live entertainment,” O’Donnell said. “People forget that it’s real people doing death-defying tricks. They’re professionally trained, but it’s live and real.”
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