A young male Papantla flyer was gravely injured Wednesday in Hidalgo when he fell during a performance.

The acrobat, identified as Antelmo Gómez Hernández, 25, was injured while performing with a Papantla flyers troupe at the Toxtla Festival in Acaxochitlán. He was rushed to the Tulancingo General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with arm, leg, hip, and spinal fractures and remained in serious condition, according to local media.

The young man belonged to a group of seven Papantla flyers from Pahuantlán, Puebla. They were representing their small community of Xolotla.

Papantla flyers are traditional acrobats from all over Mexico and Central America who engage in acrobatic feats while circulating a tall pole, hanging by a rope tied to their feet. Performers often range from teenagers to middle-aged men. The spectacle is meant to resemble birds flying through the air.

The acrobats perform in small groups, starting at heights of up to 40 meters and slowly spinning around the pole, performing feats in a gradual process to the ground. The spectacle is on UNESCO’s protected cultural rituals list, the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Source: Infobae (sp)