Wrestler Dies in Fall Before Fans, TV Audience

A World Wrestling Federation wrestler was fatally injured Sunday when he fell 50 feet into the ring as he was lowered from the ceiling of the arena--stunning the sold-out crowd that initially thought the accident was a stunt.

Owen Hart, 33, hit his head on a turnbuckle. Hart, who wrestles under the nickname “Blue Blazer,” was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the ring and then taken to a hospital.

“We thought it was a doll at first,” said Robert McCome, 15. “We thought they were just playing with us. We were really shocked when we found out that it was no joke.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how Hart fell. Michelle Hindorff, a paramedic and dispatcher for the city ambulance service, said Hart was supposed to be lowered into the ring.

Hart’s fall happened in the second part of the event called “Over the Edge.” The first part of the event, “Sunday Night Heat,” was televised live on the USA cable network.

Hart, a native of Calgary, Alberta, is the younger brother of World Championship Wrestling’s Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Survivors also include his wife and two children.