WARNING: This article contains material that some might find distressing.
Karl Wallenda truly was a daredevil in every sense of the term.
The German-American high wire artist founded The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus act which performed dangerous stunts, often without a safety net.
He was no stranger to taking risks throughout his long-running career, and ultimately it was his passion for wire walking that led to his demise.
In 1978, while attempting a walk in Puerto Rico, Karl lost balance and plummeted to his death. The incident was filmed and aired on the news at the time.
You can watch a segment below, but be warned – some may find the footage distressing:
Karl was 73 years old at the time of his passing, and ultimately he died doing what he loved the most.
As is said on the news report, the daredevil once declared: "The only place I feel alive is on the wire."
He had been attempting a walk between the two towers of the ten-storey Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan on a wire that was suspended 121 feet in the air.
The intention was to promote a circus act he was performing with his granddaughter, but in a tragic twist of fate, the ocean wind threw Karl off balance halfway through.
Despite his attempts to steady himself, the performer ended up plummeting to the ground as 200 people watched on in horror.
Many of those rushed to help Karl, but he had hit a taxi on impact and was announced dead on arrival of the nearby hospital.
Although most TV stations didn't air the fall, a crew from local broadcaster WAPA-TV filmed the incident and it was aired on ABC News, as shown in the clip above.
Karl had been performing with his family since he was six years old, only to put an act together with his brother and his future wife in 1922.
The act toured around Europe before they were discovered and asked to perform at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
In 1936, they moved to the US where Karl and his family act became well known stars.
Throughout his career, Karl performed a number of high-profile stunts, including a high-wire walk across the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia in 1970.
An estimated 30,000 people were said to have watched him cross the quarter-mile-wide gap, with Karl even wearing a microphone to narrate his risky journey.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Featured Image Credit: ABC NewsTopics: US News
Daisy Phillipson