California stuntman crashes to the ground as human cannonball act goes horribly wrong, video shows
Terrifying bystander footage shows the moment an experienced stuntman's act went awry in front of a shocked crowd of onlookers at a California fair earlier this month.
Chachi Valencia, whose stage name is The Rocketman Valencia, was performing his death-defying human cannonball act at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indigo when a strong gust of wind blew him off course on March 2.
"Taking it day by day with my faithful pup by his side," David Valencia wrote in an update to Chachi's GoFundMe page. "Grateful for time to heal and soak up all the love and snuggles. Here's to brighter days ahead."
Footage from the accident shows Valencia, a sixth-generation circus performer, sailing through the air after being launched from a 35-foot human cannon. As he falls to the landing spot, a gust of wind blows him toward the side of the net, causing him to bounce into the air and smash into the concrete ground below.
"Right before the shot, I think the wind moved and it started a crosswind, and that's what happened—the wind caught me and threw me off to one side," Valencia told Fox 11.
Valencia can be seen laying motionless on the ground as employees rushed to call emergency responders.
"I don't remember anything until I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital," Valencia said.
Riverside County Fairgrounds did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The daredevil sustained multiple injuries from the incident - including a broken wrist, cracked ribs and a lacerated liver - and was rushed to the hospital, where he was discharged just a few hours later.
"I'm really sore. It's hard for me to move around—it's mostly because of the cracked ribs that I have," Valencia told Fox 11. "I also have a broken wrist that's not bothering me so bad."
Before each launch, Valencia must decide if the conditions are safe for him to perform, and he admits to weighing the option of backing out due to the fairground's windy conditions shortly before the accident.
"You see all the people who are waiting for you to do your thing, and they're so excited, and you know I just couldn't cancel, you know?" he said.
Valencia has 23 years of experience performing his human cannonball stunt, appearing at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony and various sporting events throughout the United States, according to his website.
But before Valencia can return to the sky to continue his two-decade-long career, he must focus on rehabilitation and healing from his injuries, while reevaluating his risk-tolerance for his gravity-defying stunt.
"I will definitely not take as many risks, as many chances, especially when it's windy," Valencia said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teen Loses Foot After Freak Accident. Days Later, He Learns Man Who Saved Him Had Been in a Crash and Was Down the Hall
18-year-old Bryson Wilkinson from North Carolina was working a shift at a tree removal company when he got caught in a rope and ultimately lost his foot and part of his right leg A man rushed to apply a tourniquet while they waited for first responders Soon Wilkinson and Gary Caldwell, the man who saved him, were reunited at the hospital after Caldwell was injured in a crashA North Carolina teenager who lost his foot in a tree removal accident quickly found himself recovering in the same building as the man who helped save him. Bryson Wilkinson, 18, was working a shift at a tree removal company on Wednesday, May 21, when he got caught in a rope and ultimately lost his foot and part of his right leg in the accident, according to local NBC affiliate WECT. 'I thought it was over for me. I thought that was about to be the end of my life,' Wilkinson said. Gary Caldwell, a resident of the area, rushed to apply a tourniquet and Wilkinson was taken to a local hospital to undergo an amputation. Just two days later, Caldwell found himself at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, down the hall from Wilkinson, according to local station WRAL. "He ended up in a motorcycle accident," Wilkinson told the outlet WRAL. "I just couldn't believe what I saw." Doctors helped reunite them as they both began to heal. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'As soon as I walked in I broke down crying. I couldn't believe it,' Wilkinson told WECT. 'I'm going to keep staying in touch with him as long as I can.' Since getting home from the hospital, Wilkinson has been sharing updates about his recovery on TikTok. A GoFundMe to support him has raised more than $1,000. 'I want to tell people that their life's not over if they lose a limb. Things happen,' he told WECT. 'They can get past it in life. They don't need to give up. They don't need to lose hope.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
WTA Star Coco Gauff Makes LeBron James Admission Amid French Open
WTA Star Coco Gauff Makes LeBron James Admission Amid French Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. World No. 2 Coco Gauff may be one of the top tennis players in the world, but even champions have fan moments. Advertisement During an interview at Roland-Garros, Gauff opened up about the time she met NBA legend LeBron James and she couldn't help but feel starstruck. While speaking with former tennis pro John Isner during the 2025 French Open, Gauff recalled the unforgettable moment when she met James for the first time at the Olympic Games. The 20-year-old tennis star and reigning US Open champion was selected as Team USA's female flag bearer alongside LeBron James last year in Paris, making history as the first American tennis player to lead the team during the Opening Ceremony. The interview was shared by Bleacher Report on Instagram. 'He walked in all super cool with his shades on,' Gauff said, describing James' entrance. 'And I'm standing there waiting. And I had played it cool. He was like, 'Nice to meet you,' and I was like, 'Nice to meet you too.'' Advertisement But it didn't take long for her inner fan to surface. 'I'm like looking at Tommy Paul and Jess Pegula, and then I'm like, 'Oh my God, LeBron James is here,'' she said. 'And I just kept saying, 'He's so tall.'' Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reacts during a game.© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images James, ever humble, replied, 'I'm not that tall.' Still, Gauff couldn't shake the feeling of awe. 'I was like, 'Okay, but you're a massive dude,'' she added with a laugh. As she continues her run at the French Open, Gauff is showing fans she's not just a star athlete, but also someone who still gets nervous meeting her heroes, just like everyone else. Related: Fans Notice LeBron James' Appearance During Special Event With Savannah James This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
How Olympic Diver Tom Daley's Husband Dustin Lance Black Helped Him Recover from His Father's Death (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW The new Tom Daley documentary 1.6 Seconds premiered globally on Max and on in the U.S. on June 1, 2025 The film explores the life of the Olympian diver, one of Britain's most-celebrated athletes, in and out of the pool 1.6 Seconds highlights Daley's close relationship with his late father, Robert Daley, and how he learned to navigate life without his biggest supporter Tom Daley, 31, faced unimaginable loss when his father and biggest supporter, Robert Daley, passed away at age 40 after the Olympic diver had just turned 17 years old. In the wake of that grief, diving — once a passion they shared — became a lonely and isolating experience. For years, the five-time Olympian felt he had to put on a 'brave face' and look like everything was okay, when internally he felt the opposite. Advertisement However, meeting his soon-to-be husband, Dustin Lance Black, in 2013 changed everything. It taught him that vulnerability doesn't equate to weakness and that diving shouldn't be the only thing that defines him. Sam Riley/WBD Tom Daley for his documentary, '1.6 Seconds' Tom Daley for his documentary, '1.6 Seconds' 'I think it was realizing that once you meet your person, you kind of have to have to be able to be vulnerable and share your thoughts and feelings,' Daley tells PEOPLE exclusively. After losing his father in May 2011 to brain cancer, the diver felt alone in his experience. Not knowing who to confide in, Daley unconsciously went into 'autopilot.' 'I don't know what I was thinking but I went to training the next day, I went to the national championships 10 days later,' he reveals in his new documentary 1.6 Seconds. 'I just kept going because I didn't know anything else. I didn't have anything or anyone else. I was alone.' Advertisement Daley coped by suppressing his emotions, pushing aside his grief to focus entirely on diving. He immersed himself in the sport, using its structure and intensity as a way to avoid the pain he wasn't ready to confront. 'I think my way of doing it was compartmentalizing everything and kind of like shoving it to one side without actually thinking about it properly,' Daley says. 'So for me, that was something that I found to be a struggle, but once I got into the swing of it and was able to actually start opening up and talking about things, learning that it's okay to struggle and that you're not a burden when you offload those struggles onto other people.' Charlotte Garner Tom Daley for his documentary '1.6 Seconds' Tom Daley for his documentary '1.6 Seconds' Shortly after winning his first medal at the London 2012 Olympics, Daley met Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black at a dinner party in 2013. Advertisement That same year, Daley publicly revealed that he was bisexual in a YouTube video. The pair later got married in 2017 at Bovey Castle in Devon, not far from Daley's hometown of Plymouth. He says with Black as his 'sounding board,' he felt grounded and safe to express himself once more. 'I was realizing that there was so much of my life that I had shut down just to be able to cope, that it was really special to have somebody that could bring out that side of you,' he tells PEOPLE. Unfortunately, the 2016 Rio Olympics marked what Daley labeled an 'all-time low' in his diving career. Going in expecting a gold medal, he instead came away with bronze in the men's synchronized 10m platform event. Advertisement Overwhelmed by the thought that his hard work might never lead to standing at the top of the podium, Daley was on the brink of tears. Black helped him see beyond the disappointment and reconnect with the bigger picture. 'He said to me: 'Your story doesn't end here. This isn't over for you. Maybe you weren't meant to win an Olympic gold medal here in Rio because your future kid was meant to see you win an Olympic gold medal,' ' Daley recalls in the doc. Since then, Daley and Black have built a family together, welcoming two sons via surrogate — Robbie in 2018 and Phoenix in 2023. Robbie was named in honor of Daley's late father. Advertisement After another four years of training, Daley and his partner Matty Lee won gold in the men's synchronized 10m platform diving event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He also won a bronze in the individual 10m platform. Daley then took silver in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with his husband and sons proudly cheering from the stands. 'He fell in love with a sport that had both beauty and athleticism. A sport where he could practice his perfectionism,' Black says in the documentary. 'A sport that takes place in 1.6 seconds and in that time, a myriad of things have to happen right.' Advertisement Feeling content and proud of his diving career — he competed in a total of five Olympic games and won one gold, one silver and three bronze medals — Daley retired in 2024 to focus on being a husband and father. 'Once you find that person, it really does help shift the way that you can deal with everything,' Daley tells PEOPLE. 1.6 Seconds is now streaming on Max globally and on in the U.S. Read the original article on People
