Human Cannonball Crash Lands at Fair—Chachi Valencia Recovering from Injuries

People are still talking about the dramatic accident at the fair last weekend when Chachi “Rocket Man” Valencia, a veteran human cannonball, was caught by the wind and crash-landed outside his safety net. The stunt performer, who has traveled the world and even performed during the London Olympics, is now facing a tough recovery after suffering serious injuries.

Valencia joined the show to recount what went wrong. “The wind changed direction at the last second,” he explained. “Earlier, it was a headwind, but when I was fired out of the cannon, it turned into a crosswind from left to right—that was my problem.”

The impact was brutal. Valencia hit the side of the net, bounced off, and lost consciousness. “I don’t even remember what direction I went flying,” he admitted. “I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the ambulance.”

His injuries include a broken wrist, several fractured ribs, and internal bleeding from a damaged liver. “The hardest part is moving,” he said. “I have bruises everywhere, and even getting from laying to sitting is painful.”

Despite his years in the business, Valencia has never had an accident like this. But one major challenge he now faces is the cost of his medical care—without insurance. “I’ve tried to get insurance before, but not many companies want to cover a human cannonball,” he said. “I just can’t afford to pay $50,000 to $60,000 in medical bills.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Valencia with his expenses, and supporters are rallying behind him. “Few people, if not no people, will ever insure a man who makes a living being fired out of a cannon,” the host joked. But for Valencia, the reality is no laughing matter.

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