Acrobat Karl Wallenda spent much of his life walking on tightropes without a safety net. The German-American performer led the group “The Flying Wallendas”, known for putting on dangerous shows in circuses and venues around the world.
His story ended tragically on March 22, 1978, when he was trying to cross a cable installed between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At 73 years old, he lost his balance due to strong winds and problems with the cable installation, falling from more than 30 meters in front of hundreds of people.
The Wallenda family had already suffered several tragedies during their performances, including deaths and serious accidents in earlier shows. Even so, Karl continued performing extreme acts until his final days.