Cirque du Soleil performer dies of head injuries

[The Straight Story]

Cirque du Soleil performer dies of head injuries
Last Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2009 | 8:31 PM ET Comments88Recommend176
CBC News

A Cirque du Soleil performer has died in a Montreal hospital after suffering head injuries when he fell off a trampoline while training Friday.

The Cirque issued a statement Saturday saying Oleksandr Zhurov, a Ukrainian in his 20s, had died. The accident happened during a regular training session at a Montreal facility where the international troupe rehearses for shows.

An emergency services official said Zhurov was unconscious when an ambulance arrived at the scene.

"He had head trauma, so we quickly transported the victim to the hospital," said Benoit Garneau, operations chief for an ambulance service.

"Today, it is all of Cirque that is in mourning," said Guy Laliberté, the troupe's founder. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Sacha. My thoughts are with his parents and his family, to whom I offer my deepest sympathy.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/10/17/cirque-soleil-performer-dies.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cleita]

2. Imagine if that had happened here in the US if the company didn't

have the right accident insurance. Oh but the Canadians have Medicare for all. How simple it is.

[LisaL]

3. What is your point? The performer is dead.

[Cleita]

12. The point is he got the best medical care available in Montreal before he

died. If they performed here, I think he would have died before that while the paper work was sorted out.

Quote:

"He had head trauma, so we quickly transported the victim to the hospital," said Benoit Garneau, operations chief for an ambulance service.

[Renew Deal]

13. That any incident, no matter how tragic can be politicized.

:shrug:

[Cleita]

16. Would the issue had been any different if he lived?

I think not. He was cared for by a caring nation who puts that before money. If it had happened here, it would have been reversed. I think it's worth pointing out to all the people who still think we have the best health care in the world.

[Occam Bandage]

14. Yes. He would be equally dead, and you would sink to the same depths to politicize it.

Not hard to imagine at all.

[Cleita]

15. Anything to point out how abysmal our health care insurance system is

in this country. But of course I guess you prefer the 'no money, you die' system we have. Sorry, your insults will not shut me up on this issue and yes I will jump at any opportunity to politicize it and point out the giant ghoulish 'money first' system that we have compared to the 'people first' system the Canadians have even though the poor man died. At least an attempt was made to care for him first. The billing will come later not before.

[saracat]

4. RIP Olexandr Zhukov.My deepest condolences to the family.

It is so hard to accept the death of a young and talented person.

[JohnnyLib2]

5. + 1

:cry:

[NikolaC]

8. +1

So sad.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. This thread about a tragic event has a lot of insensitive posts.

[trotsky]

7. Having seen a couple of CdS shows...

I am in awe of the intense training these performers go through, and the risks they subject themselves to for our amusement. Thank you, Oleksandr, and RIP.

[a la izquierda]

18. +1

I loved Varekai when I saw it in L.A. a few years back.

[Shell Beau]

9. How terrible. I hope that he died doing what he loved, and his

family can find peace in that.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Oh, I am so sad to hear this. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

[KittyWampus]

11. Rest in peace. He died doing what he loved. Such talent and dedication.

[Zomby Woof]

17. My condolences to his family and loved ones

I am curious, however, if any of the people expressing sympathy here were gleeful, or at the very least, indifferent, when Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona some years back.

(For the record, I am not an Earnhardt fan, but I do love keeping tabs on this forum's double standards)

[apples and oranges]

19. I don't understand why people pay to see those shows

I would be worried about someone falling the entire show!