The Clark County coroner's office in Nevada has officially ruled the death of a Cirque du Soleil performer an accident.
During a performance in Las Vegas' MGM Grand hotel on Saturday, Sarah Guillot-Guyard fell 50 feet to her death while performing in the show "Ka." According to AP, the office said in a statement on its website, the death was the accidental result of multiple blunt force trauma wounds inflicted when she fell.
Witnesses said during a scene near the end of the show, Guilot-Guyard was being hoisted up the side of the stage when she appeared to detach from her safety wire. After that, the performer fell to the ground, landing in a pit below the stage.
The show momentarily continued, but stopped just minutes after the accident. A recorded announcement informed the audience members that refunds or vouchers for future shows would be offered and the crowd was then dismissed from the theater. The coroner's office says the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing an investigation into the accident and it could take up to six months to finish.
"I am heartbroken," Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil 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."
Cirque du Soleil performances are known for their stunning acrobatics and talented physical performances. Performers often perform aerial acrobatics and great feats of strength and dancing ability that are a danger to the performers. However, the incident was the first stage casualty in the company's 29-year history according to a spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard.
Guillot-Guyard was a mother of two and had been with the original cast of "Ka" since 2006. She was born in Paris where she was listed as the head coach at a Cirquefit, a program that offers acrobatic fitness classes to children.
Below is a video trailer for the performance "Ka."
