2 weeks ago
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An acrobat plummeted 16ft to her death in front of a horrified circus tent.
Marina B, 27, was performing a stunt on the trapeze in Bautzen, east Germany, when she fell 5 metres to the ground on Saturday.
The Spanish performer died from her injuries in front of a crowd of around 100 adults and children.
Screams reportedly erupted from the audience as some guests fled the tent and parents covered children’s faces.
The Paul Busch Circus show has now been suspended.
A note on the ticket booth reads: ‘Due to a bereavement, the circus will be closed.’
An employee of the circus told German newspaper Bild: ‘We can’t believe this has happened.’
Investigations are underway over the cause of the incident.
Ralf Huppertz, CEO of the Association of German Circus Companies (VdCU), speculated Marina may have had a health problem.
He said: ‘It’s unusual for a well-trained artist like Marina to not survive a fall from just five meters. Perhaps she got dizzy on the trapeze.
‘Five meters is actually not a particularly high height for acrobats; they are well-trained and muscular.
‘The woman must have been very unlucky or fallen onto an obstacle.’
Marina had not been using a safety rope at the time of the accident, police said, while stressing that it wasn’t a legal requirement.
Police spokesman Stefan Heiduck said: ‘She doesn’t have to. She decides for herself whether to use safety rope.
‘No one else was in the ring during the accident.’
Local Mayor Karten Vogt reacted in shock at the acrobat’s death.
He told MDR: ‘The accident has deeply affected us.
‘On behalf of the city, I express my sincere condolences to the relatives and bereaved.
‘Our thoughts are with the families and all those affected by this terrible accident.’
Marina, who is from the Spanish island Mallorca, had reportedly been booked by Paul Busch Circus for its tour.
The 27-year-old had been performing for over 10 years.
In a recent post on her Instagram of the Spaniard flying through the air on a trapeze, she said: ‘Up here, I work best.
‘I believe that art has the power to create unforgettable moments.’
Paul Busch Circus promises audiences ‘a magnificent programme full of surprises’, as well as ‘top stars from the international circus scene’.
Their shows showcase horse dressage, flying dogs, hula hoops, the ‘American Wheel of Death’ and high-up rope swinging.
The tour was due to stay in Bautzen until Sunday before a string of Christmas shows in Magdeburg in December and January.
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