Mermaid performer faints mid-show at aquarium in shocking scenes

A mermaid performer is currently in hospital after fainting during her performance at an amusement park in North China.

She was in the middle of a show at an indoor ocean amusement park in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, when she suddenly sunk, curled up and began convulsing before losing consciousness at the bottom of an aquarium tank.

Those in the audience thought it was part of the show, but after she remained motionless for 20 seconds, they called for help and a staff member jumped in to rescue her, according to local publication Jiemian News.

Following the incident, the park has suspended operations amid safety concerns.

This hasn't stopped videos of the performance circulating on social media though, with the mermaid seen convulsing a number of times underwater, as reported by Jimu News.

The mermaid was rescued by park staff (NewsX)

Speaking to media on Friday (25 April), the local emergency management bureau told the media that it had spoken to Taiyuan Ocean World, which is where the incident happened.

The park authority claimed that the performer fainted as a result of hypoglycemia while underwater.

This health condition is also known as low blood sugar, which is normally when your blood glucose levels drop below 70mg/dL - for reference, the average level ranges between 72 mg/dL to 99 mg/dL, according to Diabetes UK.

While the performer was sent to hospital, her condition isn't life-threatening, though she is being kept in the ICU as the situation is still under investigation.

The official Taiyuan Ocean World account took to Chinese social media platform Douyin to post a couple of videos showing the performer in a hospital bed while conscious.

She said that she was conscious and her vital signs appeared normal, to Jimu News.

But the next day, a relative revealed said she was experiencing some chest tightness, and pointed out that there is a risk of a lung infection as she had inhaled water.

As well as this, the mermaid claimed on China National Radio that she fainted because the water flow from the pool washed off her goggles, causing her flippers to fall off in a panic and making it impossible to float to the surface.

The park are now carrying out safety self-inspections with all water performances suspended, while the city's culture and tourism bureau have also made the decision to carry out a safety inspection throughout Taiyuan.

This was to assess rescue response times, equipment provision and health management among other things, according to the Yangtse Evening Post.

Mermaid performances have become more popular in Asia over the years, though it isn't an easy gig.

An experienced mermaid coach said to Jiemian News that underwater performances normally involve 10 minutes consisting of different movements, with each breath having to last up to a minute.

On Monday (28 April), Taiyuan Ocean World released an apology letter to the mermaid and her family, which read in full: "Dear Ms. Feng and her family, dear netizens:

"Hello everyone, at 14:30 on the afternoon of April 25, the mermaid Ms. Feng [fainted] when her goggles and flippers fell off during a performance.

"According to Ms. Feng's recollection and introduction, she did not [faint] due to hypoglycemia, but because her fins fell off and she was unable to float.

"Because the incident happened suddenly, our staff responded to Ms. Feng’s remarks about hypoglycemia in the comment section very carelessly without any clear verification, which caused adverse effects to Ms. Feng and her family.

"For this reason, Mr. Jin, the person in charge of our company, on behalf of the company and all its employees, expresses deep apologies to Ms. Feng and her family!

"We wish Ms. Feng a speedy recovery."