Acrobat dies after falling from safety harness

Posted on 2nd Jul, 2013 | By Lorretta Tatham

A renowned Cirque du Soleil performer died in Las Vegas on Saturday.

According to the Daily Mail, Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, fell out of her safety harness in front of a shocked audience at the performance of Ka at the MGM Grand.

She was an instructor when she wasn’t performing in the world famous show.

The acrobat plunged 50 feet to her death, screaming as she fell.

The mother of two, an 8-year-old and 5-year-old, was pronounced dead late Saturday night after she slipped free from her safety wire during the performance of ‘Ka’ at the MGM Grand.

Aryan Rahmat described the tragic moment: “It went from just watching the show and it being normal to watching someone fall to their death.

“Somehow the rope or the harness that was holding her up, I don’t know if it broke or what happened. I heard her screaming on the way down.”

Minutes after the accident, a recorded announcement informed audience members that refunds or vouchers to future shows would be offered, and the crowd was dismissed. The show is cancelled until further notice.

Visitors were invited to post memories of the French-born acrobat online.

Erin F wrote: “You did a wonderful job instructing the next generation. Our daughter couldn’t get enough of Cirquefit or you. Your beautiful smile and energy will be missed!”

Miranda Trenholm wrote: “Sarah, you were a blessing wrapped in angel wings with the heart of gold.”

Visitor Dan Mosqueda of Colorado Springs, who was watching the show, said: “Initially, a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the [show].

“But you could hear screaming, then groaning, and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage.”

The MGM Grand issued a statement concerning the accident.

“Our company is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the talented KA artists Saturday night,” it reads.

This was the first reported death in the acrobatic company’s 30-year history.

Obviously, this is an equipment issue, and it is clearly very important for anyone performing feats to check them.

When you plan to work at height, you must perform proper safety inspections.

A competent person who has been adequately trained for the task must be responsible for the inspection of all component parts of a personnel protection equipment system.

The frequency of this inspection is dependant on the use and each inspection should be recorded. If there is any doubt about the serviceability of your equipment don’t use it,

We offer work at height safety courses and training to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen.