Sarah Guyard Dies During Cirque De Soleil Performance

Acrobat Sarah Guyard died on Saturday night while performing a stunt during a Cirque de Soleil performance.

The 31-year-old performer was suspended 30 feet in the air by a wire when she fell into the pit below the stage during a performance of the popular show Ka. 

According to the LA Times, Sarah Guyard was out of sight of audience members. The show continued momentarily until screams could be heard coming from the pit.

After the show was abruptly ended, an audience member sent out a tweet in which they said the “wire snapped,” which led to Guyard falling “fast & awkwardly at least 50 feet.”

Another person told The Las Vegas Sun:

“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.”

After the tragic Cirque du Soleil death, founder Guy Laliberte released the following statement:

“The entire Cirque du Soleil family is deeply saddened by the accidental death of Sarah [Sassoon] Guyard, artist on the production ‘Ka,’ that happened on Saturday, June 29, in Las Vegas… Our thoughts are with her family and the entire Cirque du Soleil family.”

Sarah Guyard joined “Ka” as an original cast member for the show in 2006.

A graduate of Anne Fratellini Art & Circus Academy, Guyard is survived by two children.

Along with her work at Cirque du Soleil, Sarah Guyard also served as a teacher at CirqueFit, a program that teams children and adults about the aerial art she loved so much.

Our condolences go out to Guyard’s family, friends, and co-workers as they mourn her sudden and tragic death.