Well it sounds like people are asking the right questions at last. Check out this video.
I don't think that it's that new. From what I can tell (and from the context of the statements being made), this clip is from December 19th.
Joe
Well it sounds like people are asking the right questions at last. Check out this video.
I don't think that it's that new. From what I can tell (and from the context of the statements being made), this clip is from December 19th.
Joe
Aerialist Dies From Fall in Christmas Show
CINCINNATI — Student performer Keri Shryock, 23, died from injuries relating to a fall of more than 20 feet that occurred during a Christmas ceremony at a Cincinnati church Wednesday, Dec. 17. She was performing an aerial act as a Wise Man in the Crossroads Community Church’s Christmas pageant when her harness failed and she fell to the concrete floor, head first. The police have ruled that the death was accidental.
O’Dell Owens, Hamilton County Coroner, told news sources that fabric from Shryock’s gown got caught in the clasp of the harness, causing it to open when Shryock extended her arm.
The Associated Press is reporting that the church states that Shryock and the other performers had professional training and wore safety equipment, but no details were available on their training. Shryock was studying at Xavier University.
Further, the Associated Press relates that because she was performing as a volunteer, and not as a paid employee, no other government agency will investigate the reason for the fall.
“It’s totally a civil matter,” said Dick Gilgrist, a director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
SD contacted Bill Sapsis, of Sapsis Rigging to give some advice to help other organizations avoid such a senseless tragedy.
“The first thing that people really need to understand is that amateur organizations like this have their own limitations. They don’t have the experience to put on these things completely by themselves,” said Sapsis. “If you’re going to attempt to do something like this where you’re putting people in the air, then you have to take the step to find people who do this for a living.”
Sapsis recommended people call multiple flying/rigging organizations, describe what your organization intends to do, and then ask: Is that OK? Does that make sense? Is there a better way? Calling multiple aerialist/rigging companies is “absolutely key” according to Sapsis.
“I’m thinking of a peer-review kind of situation,” said Sapsis. “They shouldn’t just go to the first aerialist rigger-guy they find in the phone book, but to two, three or four different people, provide them with the same information and see what kind of consensus these people bring out.”
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