Cirque du Soleil act turns fatal

A VETERAN Cirque du Soleil aerialist plummeted to his death Saturday night in a stunt gone awry, the entertainment company said Sunday.

Yann Arnaud, a performer with the show “Volta,” was completing the aerial straps number when he fell to the stage in Tampa.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries. He left behind a wife and 2-yearold daughter.

“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,” Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre said in a statement.

Lamarre added the company is looking into the circumstances surrounding the fatal fall.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Arnaud’s grip on one of his straps slipped, and he fell about a dozen feet.

A witness told the outlet the aerialist was “out cold and not moving” as soon as he made contact with the stage.

“Volta” is a touring show focused on extreme sports, and includes acts like parkour, BMX, rope skipping and baton twirling. It was slated to be performed in Tampa from Feb. 14 to Sunday.