Trapeze artist Gustavo “Tito” Montoya, 38, has died after a 25-foot fall during a recent circus performance at the YMCA at The Ponds.
Montoya’s sister, Jenny Clougherty, said Montoya died on Friday, March 5, less than a week after the performance with the Walker Bros. Circus.
“He was brain-dead and his heart was very, very weak,” Clougherty said.
Montoya, who had spent his life as a high-flying aerilist, was cremated, Clougherty said. Services will be held in Sarasota, Florida.
“We’re going to do a beautiful service with videos of him performing from when he was five years old,” Clougherty said. “I saw the video (of the accident) and somehow, he didn’t have the timing right. It was just an accident.”
More than 100 residents and children attended the Feb. 28 afternoon performance at the circus and saw the high-flying act go awry.
Montoya apparently fell on his head in an area that was outside of the regular performance area. The show was stopped for 30 minutes after the fall, and then it continued.
“He’s performed thousands of times the same act,” Clougherty said. “When it’s your time, it’s your time.”

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.