Blackpool Tower 'evacuated' after circus performer falls from 'Wheel of Death'

A circus performer has been 'rushed to hospital' after falling from the 'Wheel of Death' during a performance at Blackpool Tower.

Stunned audience members, including children, looked on in horror as the acrobat plummeted to the floor after tumbling from rotating contraption, the Mirror reports. The circus tent was evacuated from the show shortly after 5pm on Saturday (April 27).

Paramedics rushed to the side of the performer who was taken to hospital for treatment while the circus tent was evacuated, according to audience members who witnessed the accident. The medical condition of the acrobat is not currently known.

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The Mirror has contacted both the Blackpool Tower Circus and North West Ambulance Service for further information. "Serious accident at the Blackpool Tower Circus this afternoon. A circus performer fell several feet from the wheel of death stunt onto the circus floor. Paramedics rushed him to hospital and the circus was evacuated. Praying all is well," one man wrote on Twitter/X.

One mum watching the performance with her kids wished the acrobat a "speedy recovery" and praised staff for their "amazing" response. A third person wrote online: "In Blackpool Tower with the kids watching the circus when the bloke who was at the top of the wheel of death fell to the ground. Immediately all the audience were escorted out. I hope he is ok." Another person claiming to have been at the show said the performer "lost balance and fell, and was seen "rolling around shouting in pain grabbing his shoulder".

The Wheel of Death is a staple of circuses across the country and the world. It involves two or more performers standing on wheels on the end of a long arm that rotates around a central axis.

Back in 1994 the act at Blackpool Tower Circus made headlines when a performer sadly died after plunging from the apparatus. Neville Campbell lost his life at the age of just 20 when he landed on his head during the act. In 2022 another acrobat fell performing the same act, thankfully suffering just minor injuries, the Daily Star reported.

A spokesperson for Blackpool Shows and Attractions told the publication at the time: “The Wheel Of Death is a very common circus act currently being performed at many UK touring circuses and indeed all over the world. It is a calculated risk and thankfully accidents are very rare. That said these fearless performers spend many years training to do these acts and live for the adrenalin and entertainment of the public.