On Saturday, Cirque du Soleil performer, Sarah Guillot-Guyard, 31, died during a performance of “Ka” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Guillot-Guyard fell to the ground near the end of the show after being lifted above a pit beneath the stage.
Originally, it was believed that somehow Guillot-Guyard fell out of her safety harness. However, Cirque spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard recently released a statement to The Times saying, “Her harness was still on and she did not slip out of her harness.”
Menard added that Cirque is cooperating with an investigation being led by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A representative from OHSA told The Times that investigators typically have six months to complete these types of investigations.
Recently, the Clark County Coroner’s Office ruled that the death was accidental, and was a result of multiple blunt force traumas from the more than 90-foot fall, according to the NY Times.
Guillot-Guyard was a mother of two who had been performing with Cirque du Soleil since 2006. Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte said, “We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family.”