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A popular Chinese acrobat named Sun Moumou recently died after falling 30 feet to the ground. She was accompanied by her husband Zhang Moumou during the performance when the incident happened in the central Anhui province village of Hougao.
Videos of the incident went viral on different social media platforms.It appears that her husband, Zhang, failed to catch Sun on her legs, leading to her death. While the videos were shared online, people questioned the safety precautions taken during such events. According to Mirror, Zhang expressed his grief on Sun's demise and stated:
"We were always happy together. 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."
Sun Moumou is survived by her husband Zhang alongside her two children, including a son and a daughter.
What happened to Sun Moumou?
As seen in videos of the incident, Sun Moumou and Zhang Moumou were lifted with a cable. Sun stood on her husband's feet, supporting and holding onto his neck. But the next moment, she lost her grip and fell while Zhang could not hold on to her.
Sun was immediately transported to the hospital where she was announced dead on arrival. Local news reports stated that the couple argued about the usage of safety precautions before their performance. However, Zhang refused the same, saying that they were "always happy together."
The Paper reported that Sun Moumou and Zhang Moumou have been performing on stage for several years but have always refused to wear safety lines to look good. A detailed investigation into the incident has already been ordered and the rest of the performances were canceled.
As per the initial investigation, the event was organized by a performance company, and currently, all those involved in the event are being questioned.
Following the incident, the China Acrobats Association requested all the acrobats to use safety lines. The association also stated that more emphasis should be given on safety measures for the performers alongside their lives. Eyewitnesses said that there were no protection measures available on the spot, including the unavailability of first-aid personnel or emergency measures.
Similar incidents have happened in the past
Several aerial artists have met with similar accidents in the past. This includes a Cirque de Soleil performer, who died for not wearing a harness and fell to his death in 2018. Another Cirque performer died in 2013 after losing her grip on the safety wire. A Japanese aerial artist died similarly when the wire of his safety harness broke as well.
Japanese aerial artist Ayumi Mitanda said that performers have always refused to wear a harness as it can prevent the performers from doing some movements.
Mitanda also recalled her own experience when she was performing a silk aerial and the silk attached to the ceiling broke. Mitanda stated that aerial performances can prove to be dangerous as artists push themselves physically, which is impossible without safety.
