A Cirque du Soleil performer died after falling 20 feet when his hand slipped off the double rings during a Florida performance, police and the entertainment company said Sunday.
Cirque du Soleil said on Twitter that Yann Arnaud fell while performing an aerial straps number Saturday night during the show VOLTA in Tampa.
Tampa police said the death of 38-year-old Arnaud appeared to be purely accidental. Arnaud died at a hospital early Sunday. He had been a Cirque du Soleil performer for more than 15 years.
Cirque du Soleil canceled its final two Tampa performances Sunday.
“The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy,” the entertainment group’s President Daniel Lamarre said in a statement.
“We are currently gathering more information about this tragic event. We are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident.”