Circus performer falls nearly 40 feet during "Wheel of Death" stunt
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- A circus performer was seriously injured when a stunt went wrong Saturday in Westchester County, CBS New York reports.
The incident happened at UniverSoul Circus in Mount Vernon.
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Witnesses say the performer was inside a giant spinning cage, called the "Wheel of Death," when he was suddenly thrown nearly 40 feet to the ground, landing very close to the audience.
"The man was on something called the 'Wheel of Death,' and he lost his grip and flew into the crowd," one woman said. "It was very, very scary."
Other performers quickly distracted the young audience members by playing "Simon Says" while the injured stuntman was rushed to a hospital.
A spokesperson for the circus released a statement, saying "the performer is in stable condition, awake and alert and was transported to an area hospital for observation and treatment."
The spokesperson said the show resumed and others are expected to go on as scheduled.
The injured performer is expected to be okay.
