Horrible Day For Cirque du Soleil

A performer for Cirque du Soleil died yesterday when she fell to her during a performance.
From the Las Vegas Sun; 
Sarah Guyard-Guillot, an artist in "Ka" at MGM Grand and a mother of two children ages 8 and 5, was killed Saturday night after a fall from the show's stage at MGM Grand. The Clark County Coroner's Office said this afternoon that Guyard-Guillot, 31, was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Saturday at University Medical Center.
No formal cause of death has been determined pending further examination of Guyard-Guillot's body. She was born in Paris and had spent more than 22 years as an acrobatic performer. She was a graduate of Annie Fratellini Art & Circus Academy, named for the famed French circus clown and actress. The official website for Cirqeufit acrobatics school in Las Vegas, where Guyard-Guillot served as a coach, said she was an acrobatic and aerialist specialist. She was hired by "Ka" as the production opened at MGM Grand in 2004.
This afternoon, MGM Resorts International, Cirque's artistic and business partner in Las Vegas, issued a statement about the tragedy:
"Our company is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the talented 'Ka' artists Saturday night. The thoughts and prayers of our employees are with the performer's family, the cast of 'Ka' and the entire Cirque family during this difficult time."
It is the first reported death from an accident onstage in Cirque's 30-year history.
According to reports from audience members, the incident occurred Saturday night during the latter stages of the production at MGM Grand. Guyard-Guillot was one of the artists suspended by a wire from the show’s vertical stage in the show-closing Final Battle scene. As she ascended to the top of the stage, she slipped free of her safety wire and dropped to the open, unseen pit below the performers.
After the incident, one eyewitness seated in the middle of the audience and just a few rows from the lip of the stage said Guyard-Guillot dropped from the left side of the set (or on the right side, as audience members face the production) over a distance of at least 50 feet. In the act, performers wear harnesses that are clipped to cables, and that apparatus is designed to keep them in position onstage. Guyard-Guillot was reportedly still in her harness when she fell from the stage.
The show momentarily continued, but then the music halted, and the performer’s screams and groans could be heard from below the stage.
Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2013/jun/30/cirque-suffers-another-accident-artist-falls-ka-mg/#ixzz2XmNSQOqP
And a reader's comment: There is nothing speculative in this article, although the fall distance stated isnt correct. We were sitting dead center in the 2nd section and watched it happen. The stage was completely vertical and she was either above the top of the stage or climbing over the top. At first it looked like a controlled descent and she made one cartwheel rotation but she picked up speed and disappeared into the pit below. All motion on stage stopped but the music played for a little while. When the other performers started looking down it was obvious that something wasn't right. Then she started making horrendously painful sounds, the music cut out and her screams were the only noises coming from the stage. We knew it was bad when they said the show had to stop but none of my group imagined we'd find out it resulted in her death. There should be a donation set up for her and her children. After witnessing her death trying to entertain us, we'd like to help any way we can. I'm glad that "the show must go on" didn't hold true. Prayers and wishes for her family and the performers who now have to work through this tragedy.
I know how the audience feels as I saw race car driver Dan Wheldon die at LVMS- it's something you don't forget.
All performances have been cancelled.