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A circus crowd gasped in horror as an acrobat plunged the equivalent of a three-storey building from the arms of her husband.
But luckily Maria Syulgina sustained only a broken left arm and a mild concussion in the tumble that could have claimed her life.
The mishap occurred during her performance in Minsk the capital of Belarus in a show called, 'Incredible fountains. Amazing city.'
She was performing with her onstage partner and husband Evgeniy Pisarev.
During a crucial pirouette high above the auditorium she failed to cling on to her husband when he slipped and she plunged nearly 60 feet to the ground.
The crowd gasped in horror, afraid for the worst as she was tended to by medics.
But later came the good news that she was not too badly hurt. She cannot, however, expect any compensation for her injuries, however slight.
The circus administration made a statement that there is no way that Ms Syulgina will get any money as it was her own decision to perform without safety equipment.
The show's spokesman said: 'Some artists perform without using safety nets. It is their own decision.'
Ms Syulgina later explained her decision to risk her life without safety equipment which she said would impede her ability to perform her routine correctly
It is not the first time Ms Syulgina has come a cropper during her daredevil act.
Five years ago during a performance in Germany she fell and broke her tibia bone.
She has been working as a circus gymnast for the past 12 years.
She said: 'This is a professional trauma. I am not scared to perform again, every artiste is ready for it.'