A Chinese acrobat plummeted 30 feet to her death during a high-flying performance with her husband—who failed to catch her in front of a horrified audience.
A Chinese acrobat plummeted 30 feet to her death during a high-flying performance with her husband—who failed to catch her in front of a horrified audience.
The tragic fall happened on Saturday when the Chinese acrobat and her beau— Sun Moumou and Zhang Moumou, both 37, were doing some stunts in the central Anhui province village of Hougao.
A cable thrust up the couple, and Sun was seen standing on Zhang’s feet and then clutching onto his neck as she lost her grip.
In the next few seconds, Sun could no longer maintain her balance, and she fell off as Zhang failed to catch her, leaving her to crash to the ground.
Sun was rushed to a hospital almost immediately but it was too late, as she was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to What’s on Weibo, which cited local reports, Zhang and Sun have been having clashes about Sun's refusal to wear a safety line for the show.
Zhang has denied the local report allegation in a conversation with the Yangzi Evening News, saying there were no fights and they are happy together.
Zhang has refused to give out more information about the incident, saying, “As I am in the middle of the process of dealing with all of this, I can’t disclose any specific details at this time.”
Authorities have sworn to conduct an in-depth investigation into the disaster, leading to the revocation of other performances.
The Chinese outlet said the company that runs the show was fined about $7,000 for “holding commercial performances without approval” in 2021.
The couple was noted to be professional and seasoned performers but usually ditched safety lines “for the sake of looking good,” according to the New York Post.
The death of Sun sparked across-the-board criticism online, and a lot of people challenged why no adequate safety measures were in place, ranging from a safety net and a soft pad on the ground.
A Twitter user named Daisy wrote, "captured the moment a Chinese acrobat plummeted 30 feet to her death while performing with her husband, who failed to catch her. The tragic fall occurred when the acrobat and her husband, identified in local media as Sun Moumou and Zhang Moumou.”
Another user tweeted, “Experience and skills are great assets, but we cannot afford to exclude safety measures in life-threatening operations. Life is irrecoverable after death, so let's protect it. My sincere condolences to the bereaved family.”
The King Maker wrote, “I feel the guy killed the girl cus she was being ungrateful to him or he tot so.”
David L Wright contributed to the matter, saying, “This was avoidable 😕 No safety line, that is crazy🤔🤷🏾. Chinese Acrobat Falls to Her Death on Camera During Routine With Husband. Why would they perform without a safety net?”
Basha commented, “Very risky without safety belts for acrobat show.”
KC said, “Her husband was tired of her, hence, the negligence.”
“Before the show should do more protective measures, you can not joke with human life until the time of real loss is irreparable,” Another commenter said.
Linana says, “They had a fight before going on stage, so many people suspected that the actor murdered the actress.”