At this writing, Wed. March 3, at 7:30 PM, there is some confusion and conflicting reports as to the condition of injured aerialist Tito Montoya. There are reports that he passed away last evening (March 2), and there are also reports that he remains in a coma in critical condition in a South Carolina Hospital.
Tito was severely injured in a fall from a swinging single trapeze last Sunday while performing with Walker Bros. Circus in South Carolina. A video tape of the accident has been posted on-line, and those familiar with aerial acts have told me that it looks as though he had shortend his trapeze ropes (due to a low building), and his timing was off when he went for a one knee catch. It also appears as though he had hung the trapeze off a frame for a basketball hoop in a YMCA gym.
There were EMS personnel on the scene almost immediately, and he was air-lifted to a nearby trauma level medical facility where he underwent emergency brain surgery. There was an on-line news report yesterday morning ( March 2) that his condition had been up-graded to "stable".
Perhaps by the time this photo is published, there will be an accurate and confirmed report.
This photo was taken of Tito Montoya in 1986, while performing on the Toby Tyler Circus with his family's flying trapeze act. Tito had recently appeared at the Showfolks Circus in Sarasota last Dec, and performed a swinging cloud swing act. |
4 comments:
He is still in critical conditions. I'm one of his causings.
An updated report from the Sarasota News (also published on today's blog) reports that Tito Montoya passed away.
Hi-
I was there when this happened and shot the footage of the heliocopter taking off with Tito to MUSC. I posted a link on my Facebook page that shows the fall. You will have to scroll down to March 2, 2010 to find it (ABC News 4). http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1069043399
I called MUSC Friday afternoon because I was going to attempt to take him flowers Sat. (attempt is the operative word because of the privacy act it is much harder to pay any respect to someone that is a stranger but I have no idea why I am so concerned other than I was raised in Miami by a Cuban father and I have a hunger for the art of aerial silk and flying) They said he was released that (Friday) morning. If any one has any news about his condition. All they said on the news was that he underwent surgery for bleeding on the brain. It is hard to understand how this can happen to someone with so much experience except that by the video it almost appears that maybe he was about to pass out or something only because his body language on the trap looks confused (ie. the direction he is facing/the motion of swing)and appears non-directional in overall focus so I don't know if the altitude was a factor or if he just got dizzy or what. There is no vocal by him as he fell so that is also something to consider. Please someone contact me and let me know if he is OK. My prayers to his family. Angel Phoenix
Tito was taken off of life support that Friday March 5 wanted to give you an update if you had not heard. Funeral is going to be back in Fl
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