Audience shocked as circus daredevil hurt in Wheel of Death fall

Acrobat plunges more than 10 feet after losing grip on large metal hoop

This was the heart-stopping moment a death-defying stunt went wrong at a circus in Perth.

Audience members gasped in horror as an acrobat plunged several feet from the rotating Wheel of Death at the big top on South Inch.

The performer lost his grip on the large metal hoop as it swung over the showground.

He fell more than 10ft, landing on his feet before crumpling on to his back.

A video of the accident, captured by audience member Steph Milne, shows people rushing to the man’s aid, while trying to avoid the still-spinning contraption.

The performer was seen struggling to get back on to his feet.

He was taken by ambulance to hospital for emergency surgery after the incident on Friday night. It is understood he is recovering well.

The circus continued over the weekend, but the Wheel of Death stunt was axed from the line-up.

Ms Milne, who shared her video on social media, wrote: “I’m hoping the guy that hurt himself is OK.

“He clearly jumped too soon and he really hurt his leg.”

A spokesman for Circus Zyair said his thoughts were with the injured performer, but declined to comment further.

The Wheel of Death, a circus favourite that dates back to the 1930s, involves performers carrying out synchronised acrobatic skills on a huge piece of apparatus as it rotates at speed.

The “wheel” is actually a large frame beam with hooped tracks at either end, where each acrobat performs a series of tricks.

As the performers run around on either the inside or outside of the hoops, the whole apparatus spins around.

Two years ago, the same circus company hit the headlines when a clown accidentally knocked a member of the audience unconscious.

It happened during a trick – during which the clown tried to flip over the man’s shoulders– at a show in Wales.

A video of the accident was captured by audience member Steph Milne.