Footage of the horrifying bystanders shows the moment when an experienced stuntman failed in front of a shocked crowd of onlookers at the California Fair earlier this month.
Chachi Valencia, whose stage name is Rocket Man Valencia, played the dying human cannonball act at Indigo's Riverside County Fair and National Dating Festival when a strong gust of wind blew him off on March 2nd.
“Take it every day with my loyal puppy,” David Valencia wrote in an update on Chach's GofundMe page. “I appreciate the time to heal and absorb all my love and snuggle. This is a bright day ahead.”
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Chachi Valencia will fly a few seconds after it was launched by the 35-foot Human Cannon at the Riverside County Fair and National Dating Festival in Indigo, California on March 2, 2025. (Michael Betzler via Storyful)
Footage of the accident shows Valencia, a sixth generation circus performer, sailing through the air after being fired from a 35-foot human cannon. As he falls to the landing point, a gust of wind blows him towards the side of the net, causing him to bounce back into the air, hitting the concrete ground below.
“I think just before the shot, the wind started moving and that started crosswind. That's what happened. The wind caught me and threw me on one side,” Valencia said. Fox 11.
Valencia can be seen lying motionless on the ground as employees rush to call emergency responders.
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Chachi Valencia's stunt is horribly wrong as he has a gust of wind directed towards the side of the net. (Michael Betzler via Storyful)
“I don't remember anything until I got into 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.
Daredevil was rushed to a hospital where he was discharged several hours later after suffering multiple injuries from the incident, including a broken wrist, a cracked rib and a cleft liver.
“I really hurt. It's difficult to move around. It's mainly because of the cracked ribs I have,” Valencia told Fox11.
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Chachi Valencia will fly a few seconds after it was launched by the 35-foot Human Cannon at the Riverside County Fair and National Dating Festival in Indigo, California on March 2, 2025. (Michael Betzler via Storyful)
Before each launch, Valencia must decide whether the conditions are safe for him to carry out, and he allows him to weigh the options to retreat due to windy conditions at the fair just before the accident.
“You see all the people waiting for you to do your thing, and they're so excited, and you know I couldn't just cancel, do you know?” he said.
Valencia has 23 years of experience performing human cannonball stunts, appearing at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics and at various sporting events across the United States, according to his website.
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However, before Valencia returns to the sky to continue his two-year career, he must focus on rehabilitation and healing from his injuries, reassessing his risk tolerance to stunts that oppose gravity.
“I definitely don't take a lot of risk, especially when the wind is strong,” Valencia said.
