STUDIO CITY—WaterWorld at Universal Studios Hollywood remains closed pending an investigation into a stunt man’s hospitalization following a live action performance on Monday, January 23. 

At 1:45 p.m., a stunt show at the theme park’s “WaterWorld” set was cut short when a performer fell into the water, as part of the act, and came to the surface unconscious. Audience members watched as another cast member ran to grab a life preserver and pulled the unconscious performer from the water, Daisy Anguiano, one of the guests in the audience, told KABC7-TV. Anguiano was able to capture the moment on her phone. 

According to Anguiano, the incident occurred during the finale of the show, where the villain catches fire and falls in the water. 

By 2:07 p.m., the show was cancelled and audience members were escorted out of the stands. Paramedics were called to the USH attraction for a cardiac arrest emergency by 2:09 p.m., Henry Narvaez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed. When paramedics arrived, others were already administering CPR to the unconscious performer. 

The 4 p.m. show scheduled for the day was cancelled. 

“We can confirm a performer with one of our long-standing show vendors was transported to the hospital following a stunt during an afternoon performance yesterday, and our thoughts are with him as he receives care,” a Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson said Tuesday. “Details surrounding the event are being reviewed.”

A source from USH told Canyon News on Thursday, January 26, that the performer remains in the ICU but is making progress. “He’s conscious, talking and ordering In-n-Out burgers,” the source said. 

Waterworld performers are hired from a third-party company called Action Performers. Canyon News reached out to Action Performers for comment but did not hear back before print.

The long-running WaterWorld show is a 16-minute performance, based after the 1995 apocalyptic film of the same name, and includes stunts on water, land, and overhead, supported by pyrotechnics, water, and other special effects, including an explosive seaplane crash landing. Since its opening in the 90s, it has remained one of USH’s most popular attractions.