Disney disaster in L.I.
Children and parents watching a Disney on Ice performance got quite a scare yesterday when a skater botched a stunt and slammed headfirst to the rink at Nassau Coliseum.
The audience gasped as the as-yet unnamed performer lay motionless on the ice for more than a minute after falling more than 10 feet while reenacting a scene from "The Little Mermaid" during the "Princess Wishes" ice show.
"Is he hurt?" one child asked.
"Does he need a Band-Aid?" asked another.
Some shaken families walked to the exits as an announcer said there would be a 10-minute "intermission" in the midmorning show. After the awkward pause, a stretcher was brought onto the ice and the performer carried out. He was later taken to Nassau University Medical Center, where his injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
"They are professionals, they are highly trained," said Lisa Taylor, a Disney on Ice spokeswoman. "But it is live entertainment and what we do is risky."
The frightening fall came after the skater was sent hurtling into the air when two other performers hopped onto the other end of a seesaw. He was supposed to land in a chair suspended by a pole, but missed the mark.