LAS VEGAS (AP) — Safety officials announced plans Tuesday to cite performance company Cirque du Soleil and casino MGM Grand after an acrobat died in Las Vegas over the summer in a fall witnessed by the audience.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a statement that they’ve wrapped up their investigation into the June 29 death of 31-year-old Sarah Guillot-Guyard. Investigators concluded she fell 94 feet to the floor below when a wire rope she was suspended from was severed due to her rapid descent.
“She ascended too quickly which caused the rope to come out of the sheave/pulley,” said Teri Williams, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. “The rope was severed when it encountered a sheer point. The investigation concluded that she ascended too quickly, in part, because she did not receive proper training.”
OSHA proposed six citations for Cirque du Soleil Nevada and three citations for the MGM Grand, where the performance took place. Both entities have 15 days to appeal, although neither party responded to a request for comment Tuesday.
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