A high-wire act took a tragic turn Wednesday after several Circus Sarasota performers fell and were injured during their rehearsal, including one Wallenda family member.

Famed aerialist Nik Wallenda, the troupe’s leader, was one of eight performers who were practicing a pyramid stunt just after noon when five of them about 25 feet to the ground. Wallenda did not fall and was not injured but circus officials confirmed in a press conference that one Wallenda family was injured in the incident.

“Now we know what our ancestors felt. What a nightmare,” Wallenda told NBC’s Kerry Sanders.

They were about halfway out on the wire when the accident happened, Wallenda told NBC, saying “it clearly was balance.”

Opening night for the circus is Friday. Said its co-founder, “The show will go on.”

Chief Michael Regnier of Sarasota County Emergency Services called the accident a “tragedy.”

Five of the performers were transported to local hospitals. Trauma alerts were issued to awaiting medical professionals concerning four of the performers — who fell all the way to the ground from an estimated height of 20 to 25 feet.

Circus officials say they hope the performers will be back on their feet in a few months.

“Accidents do happen, as we know,” Pedro Reis, co-founder and CEO of The Circus Arts Conservatory, which operates Circus Sarasota, said at a news conference. “Circus artists — sometimes we compare ourselves to NASCAR drivers, Formula One drivers — we push the limit.”

Three of the injured performers were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital as level-one trauma alerts, the highest level.

“They are extremely lucky given the height of the fall that they did survive,” said Dr. Alan Brockhurst, medical director of the trauma center.

The trauma surgeon said the performers suffered mostly orthopedic injuries, but one performer also had a traumatic brain injury.

“Two of them are in critical condition and one is in guarded condition. They are expected to survive, but they do have a variety of injuries,” Brockhurst said.

As of just after 3 p.m., one of the critically injured performers was going into surgery that was expected to take several hours. The other two were being moved into the intensive-care unit at the hospital. The patients were listed in critical condition because of life-threatening injuries, but Brockhurst said he expects them to make a full recovery.

When the performers arrived, a trauma team including two surgeons, several emergency room doctors, respiratory therapists, an orthopedic traumatologist, a neurosurgeon and a team of nurses, were waiting.

The fourth performer was taken to Blake Media Center in Bradenton as a trauma alert. A fifth patient was taken to to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Blake Medical Center spokeswoman Melissa Morgan could not give any comment regarding the patient transported to their hospital, she said.

During a press conference at 6 p.m. Wednesday, however, circus officials said no life-threatening injuries were sustained.

“We take safety very seriously at Circus Sarasota,” said Jennifer Mitchell, managing director of The Circus Arts Conservatory. She noted the Wallendas have never used a safety net in their performances.

Wallenda, a famed “sky-walk” performer who was part of the act at Circus Sarasota, was the anchor in the pyramid but he was not injured, according to Reis.

Wallenda was at Sarasota Memorial Hospital with his fellow performers, their families and friends, according to hospital representatives. While initially it was indicated that he would come out to make a statement to the media, officials later informed reporters that Wallenda wanted to stay inside while a fellow performer remained in surgery.

Reis said it was not the first time the group has attempted the act and it was performed “flawlessly” in rehearsal Tuesday.

“I will tell you that the show must go on. This is not the first accident, obviously. Accidents happen,” Reis said.

Reis could not say exactly what happened, but said performers basically lost their balance. The rigging, he emphasized, did not collapse.

The eight-person trick would be a record-setting one at that height if completed, according to Reis. It was being practiced as the final act of the show.

Reis said they will go to “plan B” and come up with a new ending. Circus officials are still having discussions on what the grand finale of the show will be, according to Mitchell.

“I’m sure they’ll be back on their feet in a few months,” Reis said. “Our hearts to go out to everybody and to Nik.”

Circus Sarasota, the city’s professional resident circus, and its parent organization The Circus Arts Conservatory, are celebrating their 20th year in 2017. The circus tents are set up near the Mall at University Town Center.

A majority of ticket revenue goes to helping community outreach programing, according to The Circus Arts Conservatory website.

Winter performances for Circus Sarasota are set to begin Friday and continue through March 5, according to the website.

In 1962, a fall during a Wallenda family performance for the Shrine Circus at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit killed two performers and paralyzed another, according to Circuses and Sideshows website.

Karl Wallenda, Nik’s great-grandfather, died in 1978 while trying to perform a high-wire walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“My thoughts and prayers are with those injured in today’s tragic accident,” U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in an issued statement. “I wish them a full and speedy recovery. I would also like to thank the first responders who arrived quickly at the scene and the excellent staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.”