Cirque du Soleil aerialist Yann Arnaud died after a fatal fall during a show in Tampa, Florida, on March 17. The company released a statement following the tragic accident.
“It is with immense sadness that Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group reports that a tragic accident occurred last night, March 17, during a performance of its show Volta, in Tampa, Florida. While he was performing the aerial straps number, long-time aerialist, Yann Arnaud, fell onto the stage,” the statement says.
“Emergency procedures were immediately activated and Yann was transported to the nearest hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries,” the statement continues.
Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, added: “The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy…Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him. Our thoughts are with Yann‘s friends, family, and loved ones during this tragic.”
Attendee Julien Martinez described the scary incident to CNN. “It was awful,” Martinez told the outlet. “You heard all the cries of the audience. There were children there and they were freaking out.”
Hours before his death, Arnaud posted about his act on Instagram. “After so much work and training and staging, our straps duo act is finally in the show tonight. It’ s time to go for it,” he wrote.
Back in 2013, aerialist Sarah “Sassoon” Guillot-Guyard passed away after falling during a Las Vegas show.