Wallenda family deaths

The first family of high-wire acts has long been the Wallendas. But the pursuit comes with high risk and occasionally a high price. On this day 63 years, two members of the troupe were killed when their high-wire act went wrong. Seven members of the Great Wallendas were moving across the high wire in a pyramid formation, without a net, when disaster struck during a circus performance in Detroit on Jan.

The pyramid collapsed and troupe members Richard Faughnan performing for the first time in public and Dieter Schepp fell to their death. She then suffered minor injuries when she was dropped into an improvised net a blanket. Mario Wallenda, 21, suffered major injuries including a fractured skull after falling to the ground. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.

Wallenda family accident

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. An amateur photographer in the crowd shot photos of troupe members hanging onto the wires.

Those photos appeared on newspaper front pages around the world, including the Calgary Herald, seen here.