The Papantla Flyers are famous for the the Aztec ritual they perform, flying from ropes at the top of a 100-foot pole, accompanied by a flute and drums.

But this week, the spectacle, held in Papantla, Veracruz, almost turned to tragedy when a tangled rope caused all four dancers to crash into the steel pole, further tangling the lines.

Onlookers watched in horror as the tangled dancers clung to the pole, trying not to fall.

One dancer, Adolfo San Martín García, said the ritual began like any other. But when the dancers launched from the top of the spire, one rope caught on a corner of the wooden frame to which they were tied, throwing all the dancers off balance and causing the mishap.

Thanks to quick thinking from the leader, a disaster was avoided. The ropes were untangled enough to allow the dancers to climb down to the ground and safety.

Source: Noreste (sp)