Audience aghast as acrobat falls
Circus performer Ziyon Gao, 15, who is lucky to have only a bruised hip after a fall during her act - Source: Fairfaxfrom: www.tvnz.co.nz
Monday January 16, 2012
Audience members were shocked when a teenage circus acrobat plunged to the ground after a "routine went wrong" at a Christchurch circus.Chinese performer Ziyon Gao, 15, escaped serious injury after falling at least two metres during Zirka Circus' Saturday afternoon show in Hagley Park.
One member of the audience, who did not want to be named, was so disturbed by the incident he contacted the Department of Labour.
He believed the fall had been caused by a rope or fastener snapping.
The man said Gao had been holding on to a large metal box, which fell with her.
There was no padding beneath her and she landed heavily on the wooden floor.
She appeared to be unconscious and he was horrified to see four people carry her outside.
"That's first aid 101, you do not move someone. If she'd injured her back, that would've been pretty bad."
The show carried on after only a short pause, with no explanation to the crowd about what happened, he said.
"[There] was the initial shock of that happening, which was totally unexpected and the way it was handled made it look like it was something that was unexpected - it looked like a panic."
He was also surprised the performers continued to use equipment without any of it being checked.
"I think the show ... is fantastic and almost under-recognised. I've seen it a couple of times and I'm always really impressed by it, but I wasn't particularly impressed by their handling of [the fall]."
The Hamilton-based circus held its last show in Christchurch yesterday.
General manager James Finlayson said the accident happened at the start of Gao's routine, close to the end of the 4.30pm show.
She was being pulled off the ground manually by three other performers, using a pulley system, when the front performer "lost his footing".
The three pullers lost their grip, causing Gao to fall about two metres to the ground.
Finlayson said the rope did not break, and Gao landed feet-first, then fell onto her side.
"She was asked if she was OK. She said `yes', but she was very upset. They rolled her on to a pad and moved her onto the backstage."
An ambulance was called and Gao was taken to Christchurch Hospital, where they confirmed she had suffered only a bruised hip, he said.
"Her most biggest upset was that she'd mucked up her act.
"She had another act to go, she wanted to go back, but obviously we wouldn't let her."
It was the first time such an accident had happened at Zirka Circus, he said.
Gao would be "taking it easy" for a while, he said.
Finlayson said the circus had received calls from audience members concerned about Gao since the incident.
A Department of Labour spokesman said they would not be investigating the accident because there had been "no serious harm" done.
One member of the audience, who did not want to be named, was so disturbed by the incident he contacted the Department of Labour.
He believed the fall had been caused by a rope or fastener snapping.
The man said Gao had been holding on to a large metal box, which fell with her.
There was no padding beneath her and she landed heavily on the wooden floor.
She appeared to be unconscious and he was horrified to see four people carry her outside.
"That's first aid 101, you do not move someone. If she'd injured her back, that would've been pretty bad."
The show carried on after only a short pause, with no explanation to the crowd about what happened, he said.
"[There] was the initial shock of that happening, which was totally unexpected and the way it was handled made it look like it was something that was unexpected - it looked like a panic."
He was also surprised the performers continued to use equipment without any of it being checked.
"I think the show ... is fantastic and almost under-recognised. I've seen it a couple of times and I'm always really impressed by it, but I wasn't particularly impressed by their handling of [the fall]."
The Hamilton-based circus held its last show in Christchurch yesterday.
General manager James Finlayson said the accident happened at the start of Gao's routine, close to the end of the 4.30pm show.
She was being pulled off the ground manually by three other performers, using a pulley system, when the front performer "lost his footing".
The three pullers lost their grip, causing Gao to fall about two metres to the ground.
Finlayson said the rope did not break, and Gao landed feet-first, then fell onto her side.
"She was asked if she was OK. She said `yes', but she was very upset. They rolled her on to a pad and moved her onto the backstage."
An ambulance was called and Gao was taken to Christchurch Hospital, where they confirmed she had suffered only a bruised hip, he said.
"Her most biggest upset was that she'd mucked up her act.
"She had another act to go, she wanted to go back, but obviously we wouldn't let her."
It was the first time such an accident had happened at Zirka Circus, he said.
Gao would be "taking it easy" for a while, he said.
Finlayson said the circus had received calls from audience members concerned about Gao since the incident.
A Department of Labour spokesman said they would not be investigating the accident because there had been "no serious harm" done.
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