CHAOS erupted at Blackpool Tower last night after a circus performer plummeted to the ground from a “wheel of death”.
Officials told families to evacuate as paramedics charged in to find the acrobat "writhing on the floor in pain".
Shocked audience members said the stuntman looked “traumatised”.
The performer, believed to be called Juan, was on the “wheel of death” - a large rotating apparatus with hoops at either end where acrobats can perform death-defying skills.
Cheryl Hudson thought the fall was part of the 5.30pm performance before realising something was "terribly wrong".
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She told The Sun: "He attempted to get on a few times, then when he finally did get on and fell off, having not seen the act before, I thought it was part of the performance.
"It was only when he was writhing on the floor in pain and failed to get up, that I realised something had gone terribly wrong. I hope he is OK."
Another said: “He went to jump in the wheel and lost his footing causing him to fall out and land on the floor of the circus ring.
"He looked like he was in an awful lot of pain.”
While a third added: “The guy landed right in front of us and came down with a fair bump.
"He didn’t seem critically ill, but who knows. He was in serious pain. Hope he makes a speedy recovery.”
A spokesperson for Blackpool Tower said the stuntman is now "recovering well" after sustaining the injury in a "Wheel of Faith" act.
The performer, who is being treated for a minor wrist injury, had been executing a rehearsed move under planned conditions, the spokesperson said.
A Merlin Entertainments spokesman said: “We can confirm that a member of the Blackpool Tower Circus team had a minor fall whilst performing a rehearsed manoeuvre.
“Our medical team responded quickly with our well-established emergency procedures and supported the performer until the Emergency Services arrived.
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“We are pleased to confirm the performer is recovering well and being treated for a minor injury to his wrist.
“The safety and well-being of our performers is of the highest importance.”
Guests who were present at the time of the incident were provided with free tickets for a future performance.
Circus performances at Blackpool Tower will open as usual on Sunday, while affected guests have been provided with complimentary tickets for a future performance.
A review of the act will now take place.