Mermaid performer nearly drowns as spectators think it's all part of her act
A mermaid performer at an ocean amusement park in Taiyuan, China fainted and nearly drowned during an underwater show. But spectators, including children, thought she was just acting.
Local outlet Global Times reported that Taiyuan Ocean World suspended its operations following the incident.
Videos showed the performer, in a mermaid tail, suddenly curling up and convulsing before losing consciousness.
Audiences initially thought it was part of the performance, but soon realized that things went awry as she remained motionless for 20 seconds.
A male staff member reportedly jumped into the water to rescue her.
According to initial reports, authorities from Taiyuan Ocean World confirmed that the performer had fainted due to hypoglycemia, a condition in which one's blood sugar level drops below the standard range.
She was in the intensive care unit at one point, lying in her bed while on a ventilator.
Nevertheless, she didn't suffer a life-threatening condition, and her vital signs appeared normal, according to local outlet Jimu News.
But later on, her relative reportedly said that she had experienced chest tightness and had been at risk of lung infection after inhaling water.
The Taiyuan Ocean World, meanwhile, in a statement, said that while she suffered hypoglycemia, it wasn't the cause of her drowning.
"According to Ms. Feng's recollection and introduction, she did not [faint] due to hypoglycemia, but because her fins fell off and she was unable to float," it said, per Yahoo! News.
"Because the incident happened suddenly, our staff responded to Ms. Feng’s remarks about hypoglycemia in the comment section very carelessly without any clear verification, which caused adverse effects to Ms. Feng and her family," it added.
The park is conducting an investigation, while the city's culture and tourism department is looking to do a safety inspection throughout Taiyuan.
