A 23-year-old "human cannonball" was killed on Monday, apparently because "a safety net failed to engage." The daredevil has not been formally identified, but he was working for Scott May's Daredevil Stunt Show, a UK-based touring show that features, alongside the human cannonball, "pyrotechnics, motorbike and monster truck stunts." Given that it advertises itself as having a "100% safety record," one imagines that today's death is the show's first; it's unclear exactly what happened but the complicated stunt apparently requires the cannonball to extract himself from the safety net within seconds of landing. [The Guardian; image of Scott May's Daredevil Show via Stef Robb]

A British human cannonball died today when his safety net failed to engage during a "daredevil stunt show." Turns out shooting yourself out of a cannon is almost as dangerous as going to McDonald's. [SkyNews via TDB]