A circus performer was accidentally shot in the neck with an arrow during a performance at a county fair in upstate New York, police and organizers confirmed.
The incident occurred Friday night at the Orange County Fair in Middletown. Ana Daza Tavera, 42, and Edwin Cuervo Rangel, 38, both from Wisconsin, were performing a crossbow sharpshooting act when Tavera accidentally struck Rangel in the neck with an arrow while he was holding a foam target.
Rangel was airlifted to a hospital and was in stable condition. The circus show for that night was canceled.
Benjamin Jackson, the ringmaster for Circus Murcia, stated that Rangel was fortunate to have been struck on the side of his neck in an area with soft tissue and no major blood vessels. Jackson described the injury as similar to getting an ear pierced, with minimal bleeding.
Rangel was released from the hospital on Saturday after the arrow was removed and he received stitches. He is expected to need time to heal before returning to performances but is reported to be alert and recovering well.
The circus resumed its regular schedule of three shows daily on Saturday, though the crossbow act was omitted.