When you go to the circus, you have to expect an element of danger. However, for one father-of-three, that danger became a terrifying reality when he was picked out of the audience for a trick only for it to go horrendously wrong.
Ben Garnham, 37, from Wales, went with his daughters to Circus Zyair when he was picked out of the crowd by clown Ben Coles to help him perform a trick.
All was going well until the actual moment the trick was attempted and then all hell broke loose as Ben was left unconscious on the floor, having damaged his neck. Check out how badly wrong it went...
Ben was fuming at the circus staff who he said could have made the situation 'much worse'.
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He said: "I'm grateful to still be here and not paralysed or dead and hopefully there's no long-term damage, but I'm pretty annoyed at the way I was just manhandled off the stage.
"They knew I had a head injury from the way I landed on my neck - they could've paralysed me for life - there should have been someone there who was medically trained to treat me.
"I was told that they just panicked but that's not the point. As people have since said it's basic stuff."
Credit: South Wales Argus
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Thankfully, Ben was rushed to Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport where he was fitted with a neck brace and spent four hours being assessed.
His injuries included a golf ball-sized lump on his neck and bruises around his ear and cheek. He also has a suspected bruised rib.
The circus has contacted the father-of-three to offer him a full refund and complimentary tickets for his family to see the show in Carmarthen this weekend. Ben says he doesn't blame the clown for what happened.
We doubt he'll be jumping at the chance to volunteer for another trick if he takes them up on the offer.
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Words by George Pavlou
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