Saw the show tonight. An absolutely spectacular production all-around. My first thought when they started getting on the
wire and building their pyramid: I can definitely see how this is the kind of act even a group of highly-qualified professional could fall from, and they didn't even perform the part of the act they were working on when they had their accident.
After the performers took their
bows, Nik explained what happened with the accident. They were rehearsing to set a world record for an 8-person, 3-layer pyramid. They had been working on it for months in his backyard here in Sarasota, and working on it for awhile in the tent. They had the full pyramid built when the accident happened. They started to lose their balance and when they spilled the pyramid, Nik and 2 others grabbed the
wire and hung on. One of his performers landed on their feet and was able to run outside and
call his mom. Another one of the guys came down head-first. Through nothing shy of the grace of God, one of the stagehands was situationally aware and spotted them starting to go over. He hopped in the ring and was able to redirect this performer's fall. Their split second reaction is probably the only reason the performer didn't break his neck dropping from the top layer of the pyramid -- a 40' fall. He walked out with just a couple broken bones.
Both of the women up on the
wire came down had harder landings. One of them was released from the hospital after 4 days and is beginning recovery/rehab. I believe he said the other was still in the hospital but in good condition.
Nik said the when the paramedics showed up they were fully expecting to have to resuscitate people. Every person taken to the hospital was conscious and aware of what had happened and was going on.
Aside from the obvious reasons it's good that this happened in rehearsal instead of performance -- the Circus Sarasota tent isn't particularly large. They fit a sizable crowd in there and have enough room to run some horses in circles around the perimeter, but the ring is...cozy. Except for the middle section of the high-wire, if a performer or multiple performers fell, their ~16' long balancing poles would go over with them and potentially missile into a swath of audience members. The performer would probably miss the crowd, the seating, and barricades, but the poles are going to
swing around and come down anywhere they please.
This is the act they were trying to do an 8-person version of though for the life of me I can't imagine where the 8th person goes:
Here's a shot of the ring and the tent from tonight's show: