Dramatic moment trapeze artist loses his balance and falls 25ft onto hard wooden floor

This is the horrifying moment a trapeze artiste dramatically plummeted nearly 30ft during a high wire dance routine in front of a stunned audience.



Performer Sergey Marakov fell onto a hard wooden floor when his tightrope suddenly loosened - but was miraculously almost uninjured and staggered to his feet, taking a bow, clutching his arm.



After a quick hospital check-up, and a bandage on his arm, he returned to his circus in the Russian city of Bratsk and competed his "Spanish dance" act to loud applause from the audience.



Marakov, from Dovgalyuk Dynasty Circus, said that the tightrope loosened because the frozen Siberian soil - into which the big top’s supports had been fixed - began to thaw.