Circus Murcia spoke out after one of its performers was accidentally shot in the neck at the Orange County Fair.
Ana Daza Tavera, 42, and Edwin Cuervo Rangel, 38, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, were performing in Wallkill, New York, on Friday night when the crossbow sharpshooting act went wrong. Cuervo Rangel was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, and police said he was in stable condition.
The circus said Cuervo Rangel would recover.
“Our performer is safe and in stable condition following surgery at the hospital and will make a full recovery,” Circus Murcia owner and operator Alexander Murcia wrote in a statement.
Benjamin Jackson, the ringmaster, said the shot caught the performer in a soft spot on the side of the neck.
“No blood leaking out. There was a little around the hole where the arrow went in, kind of like getting your ear pierced,” he said.
The troupe said the crowd was not in danger.
“Safety has always been our top priority and we would like to emphasize that while this was a tragic accident, it is an isolated incident and there was and is no danger to the general public and audiences,” the company said.
The fair show continued after the accident, but without the crossbow act.
Cuervo Rangel was released from the hospital on Saturday after the arrow was removed and he received stitches.
He was also described as “walking around, talking, eating, enjoying life.”
The act has drawn attention before for its high-risk setup and precision work.
The source outlet’s summary said the stunts can include arrows fired backward or in pitch darkness at tiny targets near assistants’ heads.
In the viral moment, a foam target was held up as part of the act.
Police said Daza Tavera fired at the target and missed.
The arrow struck Cuervo Rangel in the neck instead.
The Orange County Fair runs in Wallkill through Aug. 2.