Circus Acrobat Suffers Horrifying Fall, Arms Shatter on Camera
East2West News
A circus acrobat took a horrifying 20-foot tumble during her act, leaving her with both arms broken — and it’s all caught on camera!
Audience members, including kids, were left gasping as aerial gymnast Valeriya Zapashnaya took a shocking dive to the ground after a botched trick during her performance in the Russian city of Kemerovo.
At first, everything seemed to be going swimmingly as Zapashnaya clung to her male partner, and they started spinning high above the center ring without a safety harness.
But then things took a nosedive when she attempted a backflip. Instead of landing gracefully in between her partner’s extended legs, she misjudged it and went crashing down to the floor.
The show’s director, Yaroslav Zapashny, revealed she’s already had surgery on one of her broken arms.
He also stressed that though the accident was a human error on her part, Valeriya’s in good spirits and ready to get back to performing as soon as she can.
Looks like this isn’t her first rodeo — just 18 months earlier, Zapashnaya, who hails from a well-known Russian circus dynasty, took another nasty spill that left her with a broken arm and a lacerated forehead.