A Cirque du Soleil performer was killed after falling during a show in Las Vegas.
Paris-born Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, was pronounced dead on Saturday night after she fell about 50 feet from the stage during a performance in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka."
Audience members said that the fell occurred towards the end of the show on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, the Las Vegas Sun reports.
One visitor, Dan Mosqueda of Colorado Springs, Colo. told the Sun that the performer was being lifted on the side of the stage when she seemed to slip out of the safety wire and fell to an open bit below the stage. Witnesses didn't realize it was an accident until they heard screams.
"Initially, a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the (show)," Mosqueda told the Sun. "But you could hear screaming, then groaning, and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage."
The show went on for a few moments but then stopped. The audience members then heard a recording saying that they would be given a refund or a voucher for a future show and they were asked to leave.
According to Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, performances of "Ka" have been cancelled until further notice. He praised Guyard-Guillot, who was a mother of two. She was an acrobatic performer for more than 20 years and joined the cast of "Ka" in 2006.
"I am heartbroken. I wish to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family. We are all completely devastated," Laliberte said in a statement. "We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family."
Show officials are working with the local authorities to investigate the incident. The Clark County Coroner's Office will determine the cause of death.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
