27 April,2011 08:23 AM IST | | Agencies
A human cannonball was killed in front of shocked kids yesterday when his safety net collapsed after he was fired into the air. The 23-year-old stuntman was catapulted 50 feet and crashed head first on to the ground. Witnesses told how they saw the cab of the truck tilt forward which sent the net tumbling down.
Death trap: Police believe the stunt man died because the safety net
failed to open causing him to land face down. Pic/Getty images
The daredevil lay motionless on his side with blood pouring from his mouth. Paramedics took him to hospital where he died later. The tragic performer had given a thumbs-up and waved to the 2,000-strong crowd as he climbed a ladder into the giant gun. Wearing a red and black jumpsuit and silver crash helmet, he paused at the top before sliding into the gun.
The crowd including hundreds of children chanted "5-4-3-2-1" and "Fire!" before a puff of white smoke exploded at the back of the cannon and he was launched into the air. After the stuntman fell from 40 feet to the ground, the shocked announcer said, "Whoau00a0-- hang on, hang on. We need the St John Ambulance."
The victim, who has not yet been formally named, was called Matt the Manx Crank by the announcer minutes before the stunt went wrong. Last night, the tragedy at the Scott May's Daredevil Stunt Shows at the County Showground in Detling, Kent, was being investigated.
Rob Hutchinson (42), of Kent, was with his wife and two young children. He said, "The net was already up. He climbed out on top, climbed down into the tube, they gave this countdown then he came out of the tube. He turned over and then you can see the net is flat on the floor, not up in the air, and he is coming down head-first towards the ground. I saw him hit the floor and bounce. It was like a dummy being thrown."
Human cannonballs are fired into the air using either a hydraulic spring or by a jet of compressed air. A cloud of smoke is sent up to make it look like the cannon has fired. Scott May use a 7.5-tonne HGV truck to hold both the cannon and net in place. The netting is also held taut by supporting poles that let the stuntman land safely. The firm's website dubs itself the "greatest show on wheels" because of its fleet of monster trucks. Last night it announced all shows had been cancelled until further notice.
Did you know?
The current world record for the farthest human cannonball flight is by David Smith Jr on March 17u00a0 2011 in Milan.
First flight out
The first human cannonball, in 1877 at the Royal Aquarium in London, was a 14 year-old girl, Rossa Matilda Richter, with the stage name of Zazel. She was launched by a spring-style cannon invented by a Canadian.
