A circus performer was flown to a hospital after an onstage archery stunt in New York went wrong, with authorities saying a fellow performer missed the intended target and struck him in the neck with an arrow.
The accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Orange County Fair in the town of Wallkill, where 38-year-old Edwin Cuervo Rangel and 42-year-old Ana Daza Tavera were performing, New York State Police said in a news release.
Cuervo Rangel and Daza Tavera are married, News 12 reported.
Police said the Wisconsin-based performers were in the middle of a routine when Daza Tavera fired an arrow toward a foam target being held by Cuervo Rangel.
A circus performer was taken by helicopter to a hospital after his wife and fellow performer missed a target and hit him in the neck with an arrow. (Orange County Fair/Facebook)
Instead of hitting the target, the arrow struck Cuervo Rangel, leaving him injured, according to police.
Cuervo Rangel was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
Authorities said no one else was hurt.
A ringmaster for the traveling show company, Circus Murcia, later said the arrow hit Cuervo Rangel in his neck.
“Well, last night, unfortunately, when she shot the crossbow, it caught him in his neck,” Circus Murcia Ringmaster Benjamin Jackson told News 12.
Edwin Cuervo Rangel was airlifted to a hospital in stable condition. (Orange County Fair/Facebook)
“The good news is, she caught him right at the very corner of the neck. There was no blood, nothing,” he added.
Circus Murcia owner Alexander Murcia said Cuervo Rangel is expected to make a full recovery.
“Our thoughts remain with him during his recovery, and we sincerely appreciate the outstanding care provided by the first responders, medical team, and everyone who assisted,” Murcia told the Hudson Valley Post.
INC News reached out to Circus Murcia for comment.
Edwin Cuervo Rangel is expected to make a full recovery. (Orange County Fair/Facebook)
Police said the incident remains under investigation.
The Orange County Fair opened on Thursday and is scheduled to be open daily through Aug. 2.
The Big Top Circus featuring Circus Murcia is new to the fair this year, featuring “breathtaking acrobatics, daring aerial performances, and world-class circus artistry,” according to the fair’s website.
