Barcelona man 'may be brain-damaged' after human tower fall at fiestas
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 @ 11:12 AM
A 40-YEAR-OLD man who fell from a 'human tower' at a fiesta in Barcelona is conscious and out of danger, but may have suffered brain damage, medics advise.
Known in Catalunya as acasteller and in Valencia as a muixeranga, human towers are a popular feature of local festivals and are usually formed by trained gymnasts, dancers or climbers.
In the case of the tower made by the Vila de Gràcia fiesta association in Barcelona, this involved eight levels with five people per level, supported by extras on the ground.
Safety elements are normally taken very seriously, with under-18s obliged to wear helmets, soft surfacing placed on the ground before the display, and netting used during rehearsals.
Falls and other accidents are very rare, says the regional castellercoordinator, the CCCC.
A tower collapsed during a display on Sunday in Barcelona and an as yet unnamed man hit the ground and passed out.
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