A Cirque du Soleil aerialist died during a show in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday night after he fell more than six metres to the stage while performing an aerial straps number.

The company issued a statement Sunday afternoon, saying that the performer —Yann Arnaud — was transported to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries.

"The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy," said Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, in the statement.

"Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him. Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann's family and our employees, especially the Volta team, as we go through these difficult times together."

Arnaud was performing the aerial strap act in Tampa when he fell. (YouTube)

Lamarre told CBC News that Arnaud, originally from France, leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.

The remaining two Volta shows scheduled in Tampa have been cancelled.

Lamarre said that he got a call in the middle of the night and took the first flight out of Montreal to Tampa on Sunday.

"As soon as I heard the news, I wanted to be here to support the team," he told CBC News.

He said the tight-knit group is in mourning.

"Yann was one of our most experienced artists in the troupe," he said. "He was a great artist, a great performer."

He added that he doesn't believe there was an equipment failure but that it's too early to say for sure.

"For me, one accident like this is too many," he said.

Cirque du Soleil is collaborating with the local authorities as they look into the accident and is also conducting an internal investigation.

The Volta show has been touring across Canada and the United States since last year. (Radio-Canada)

This isn't the first accident in recent memory for Cirque du Soleil's Volta show.

In August 2017, a show in Gatineau, Que., was stopped temporarily when a performer fell.

The parkour specialist fell from a set piece and appeared to injure his head and back, according to a Cirque du Soleil spokesperson.

The show was stopped briefly to allow medical staff to assess the man, and he was eventually able to get up and walk on his own. He did not need to be taken to hospital.

In 2016, three incidents took place in the same week in various Cirque productions. One of them, involving the son of a Cirque du Soleil founder, was fatal.</s>A Cirque du Soleil performer has died after falling during a show in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend.</s>A Cirque du Soleil performer has died after falling to the stage during a performance in Florida on Saturday.

“It is with immense sadness that Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group reports that a tragic accident occurred last night, March 17, during a performance of its show , in Tampa, Florida,” Cirque du Soleil wrote in an official statement about the incident on Twitter.

Describing the accident, Cirque du Soleil wrote that Yann Arnaud, an aerialist who had worked with the company for over 15 years, fell to the stage while performing an “aerial straps number.”

The reported that the incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. after Arnaud “lost control of his grip” on the aerial straps, falling “a dozen or so feet to the stage,” according to a video obtained by the newspaper.

After the performer’s fall, Arnaud was immediately “transported to the nearest hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries,” Cirque Du Soleil continued in their statement.

“The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy,” wrote Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group in the company’s official statement.

“Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him. Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann’s family and our employees, especially the team, as we go through these difficult times together,” he added.

Cirque du Soleil added that the company will be offering its “full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident.”

In an interview with Florida’s WFLA, an audience member said Arnaud was “visibly straining to hold onto the rope.”

Julian Martinez told the outlet, “I saw the two acrobats exchanging glances beforehand and I don’t know if one was trying to see if the other was okay.”

He added to WFLA of the aftermath of Arnaud’s fall, “It was awful, you heard all the cries of the audience. There were children there and they were freaking out.”

Cirque Du Soleil stated that two performances of that had been scheduled to take place in Tampa on Sunday have been cancelled.</s>TAMPA, Fla. - A Cirque du Soleil acrobat who fell during a Saturday performance in Tampa, Florida, died from his injuries, a hospital spokeswoman told WTSP on Sunday.

According to a video viewed by WTSP and The Tampa Bay Times, the aerial acrobat lost his grip on a ribbon strap during the company’s “Volta” show and fell 10 feet to the stage below.

A spokesman for Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group identified the performer as Yann Arnaud, a longtime aerialist, WFLA reported.

The show was stopped, and Arnaud was taken to Tampa General Hospital. He died from his injuries, spokeswoman Ellen Fiss told WTSP.

The two performances scheduled for Sunday were canceled, the company in charge of publicizing the show said in a statement.

"The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy. Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him," company CEO Daniel Lamarre said. "Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann’s family and our employees, especially the ‘Volta’ team, as we go through these difficult times together."

Arnuad’s death is the second performer fatality in Cirque du Soleil's history, WTSP reported. According to the BBC, Sarah Guillot-Guyard, 31, died during a 2013 show in Las Vegas when she fell 94 feet to the floor when a safety wire detached.

Olivier Rochette, a 43-year-old technician, died in 2016 while setting up for a performance.</s>TAMPA - A Cirque du Soleil performer who fell Saturday night during a performance in Tampa has died, a Tampa General Hospital spokeswoman said.

The acrobat who died has been identified as Yann Arnaud, according to a statement released by Cirque de Soleil's Volta.

"It is with immense sadness that Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group reports that a tragic accident occurred last night, March 17, during a performance of its show VOLTA, in Tampa, Florida," the statement began.

Arnaud, a longtime aerialist, was performing "the aerial straps number" when he fell onto the stage, according to the Cirque du Soleil statement. First responders moved in quickly to administer medical aid.

Arnaud was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

"The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy. Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him. Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann's family and our employees, especially the VOLTA team, as we go through these difficult times together," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

Cirque du Soleil officials are gathering more information the event, the statement said.

"We are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident," the statement added.

The last 2 shows of Volta scheduled for Sunday were canceled. All purchases through Cirque du Soleil website or call center will be automatically refunded on the credit card used for the original purchase.

For tickets purchased through one of its partners, customers should contact the original point of sale for a refund.

Witnesses said that a ribbon dancer who had swung out over the audience slipped as he was swinging back and fell to the stage. He was unresponsive when medical personnel rushed to attend to him.</s>A long-time aerialist with Cirque du Soleil has died after falling onto the stage during a performance in Florida, the company has confirmed.

Yann Arnaud was injured performing the aerial straps number during the show Volta in Tampa on Saturday night (local time).

In a statement, company president Daniel Lamarre said emergency procedures were immediately activated and Mr Arnaud was taken to the nearest hospital, where he later passed away.

"Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had a chance to know him.

"Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann's family and our employees, especially the Volta team, as we go through these difficult times together."

Volta's remaining two shows in Tampa have been cancelled.

Mr Lamarre said the company was gathering more information about Mr Arnaud's death and offered its "full and transparent collaboration" to authorities.

In 2013 acrobat Sarah Guyard was the first performer to die the history of Cirque du Soleil.

The 31-year-old fell from the high wire during a performance of KA in Las Vegas.

In 2016 technician Olivier Rochette, son of the circus's co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix, was killed while setting up for the show Luzia in San Francisco.</s>TAMPA, Fla. - A Cirque du Soleil performer died after his hand slipped off the double rings and he fell 20 feet during a performance in Florida, police and the entertainment company said Sunday.

The theatrical company announced on Twitter that Yann Arnaud fell while performing an aerial straps number Saturday night during the show VOLTA in Tampa.

Tampa police said they were investigating the death of Arnaud, 38, though they said in a release that it appears to be accidental. Arnaud died at a hospital early Sunday. He had been a Cirque du Soleil performer for more than 15 years.

"The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy," the entertainment group's President Daniel Lamarre said in a statement. "We are currently gathering more information about this tragic event. We are offering our full and transparent collaboration to the authorities as they look into the circumstances of this accident."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>TAMPA (WFLA/WAVY) – Officials in Florida say a Cirque du Soleil performer fell to his death Saturday night during a performance in Tampa.

The horrifying drop happened during the company’s production of VOLTA.

A spokesman for Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group identified the performer as Yann Arnaud, a long-time aerialist. Police said he was performing on the double rings when one of his hands slipped off the ring and he fell approximately 20 feet.

Arnaud was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he later died.

“The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy. Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him,” said President and CEO Daniel Lamarre. “Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann’s family and our employees, especially the VOLTA team, as we go through these difficult times together.”

Although the death appears to be accidental in nature, the Tampa Police Department and OSHA will conduct an investigation into the incident as is standard protocol. An autopsy will be performed on Monday.

A spokesman for the company says they are offering their “full and transparent collaboration” as authorities investigate what happened.

Julian Martinez was in the audience when the performer fell. He says he can’t get the incident out of his mind.

“Everyone rushed to the stage really quickly, they wanted to see what happened to him,” he said. “After about five minutes, the Cirque officials got on the loudspeaker and told us to leave.”

Cirque du Soleil had two more VOLTA performances scheduled for Sunday, the final two shows in Tampa. Both have been canceled.

The company says all ticket purchases through the website or call center will be automatically refunded. Customers who purchased tickets through partners of Cirque can contact the seller for a refund.</s>TAMPA, Fla. - An acrobat died Saturday after falling during an aerial straps routine at a Cirque du Soleil show in Tampa, the company said.

A spokesperson for Cirque du Soleil said that long-time aerialist Yann Arnaud lost his grip on a strap during a his routine and fell about a dozen feet onto the stage. Arnaud was rushed to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.

"Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him," said Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. "Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on supporting Yann’s family and our employees."

The company was set for perform two additional shows near the Tampa Greyhound Track on Sunday, but those performances have been canceled.

Spectator Ben Ritter told the Tampa Bay Times that once Arnaud hit the stage he was “out cold and not moving.”

The same show, Volta, was performed in Miami Gardens in December.</s>TAMPA – A Cirque du Soleil aerial acrobat who fell during the company's Volta show Saturday night died from his injuries, a hospital spokeswoman confirms.

While he was performing an aerial straps number, long-time aerialist Yann Arnaud fell onto the stage, a Cirque du Soleil representative said in a statement. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he died from his injuries, spokeswoman Ellen Fiss said.

"The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy," the statement read. "Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him. ... Our focus will be on supporting Yann's family and our employees, especially the Volta team, as we go through these difficult times together."

Cirque's statement pledged "full and transparent collaboration" as the circumstances of the accident are investigated.

Cirque du Soleil's touring Volta show has been in production since mid-February at Tampa's Under the Big Top, located by the Tampa Greyhound Track on Nebraska Avenue. The last two performances of Volta in Tampa, which were scheduled to take place Sunday, have been canceled.
A Cirque du Soleil performer dies after falling 15 feet (4.6 m) during a performance in Tampa, Florida.