Aerialist Lijana Wallenda walks on a high wire above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Two siblings from the famed Flying Wallendas safely crossed Times Square on a high wire strung between two skyscrapers 25 stories above the pavement.
Nik Wallenda is a seventh-generation acrobat, but this time, he said he was nervous. His sister, Lijana Wallenda, joined him Sunday night for the first time since her near-fatal accident in 2017, when she broke nearly every bone in her face.
The siblings walked from opposite ends of the 1,300-foot wire (396-meter) suspended between the towers, crossing each other in the middle, where Lijana Wallenda sat on the wire and let her brother step over her. Both then continued to the opposite side.
Their latest daredevil stunt was streamed live on ABC and watched by thousands of spectators from below. The two were wearing tethered safety harnesses required by the city in case they fell.
The Wallenda family has been a star tightrope-walking troupe for generations, tracing their roots to 1780 in Austria-Hungary, when their ancestors traveled as a band of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, animal trainers, and trapeze artists. They never use nets in live shows or in rehearsals.
In 1978, 73-year-old Karl Wallenda fell to his death from a high wire strung between two buildings in Puerto Rico. In 1962, Karl Wallenda's nephew and son-in-law died, and his son was paralyzed, after a seven-person pyramid collapsed during a performance. Lijana Wallenda's fall happened during an attempt to break a Guinness world record with an eight-person pyramid.
Nik Wallenda's high-wire walks above Niagara Falls, the Chicago skyline, and the Little Colorado River Gorge near Grand Canyon National Park were broadcast on national television.
Aerialists Nik Wallenda, right, and his sister Lijana walk on a high wire above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press
Aerialists Nik Wallenda, top, steps over his sister Lijana as they walk on a high wire above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press
Aerialist Nik Wallenda walks on a high wire above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press
A high-wire crosses Times Square, Thursday, June 20, 2019 in New York. Performers Nik and Lijana Wallenda will cross Times Square on the high wire on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The Associated Press
A high-wire crosses Times Square, Thursday, June 20, 2019 in New York. Performers Nik and Lijana Wallenda will cross Times Square on the high wire on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The Associated Press
Aerialist Nik Wallenda talks with the media about his planned high-wire act, Thursday, June 20, 2019 in New York. Wallenda and his sister Lijana will cross Times Square on a high wire on Sunday. He is holding a cable similar to the one that will stretch across the square. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The Associated Press
Aerialist Nik Wallenda talks with the media about his planned high-wire act, Thursday, June 20, 2019 in New York. Wallenda and his sister Lijana will cross Times Square on a high wire on Sunday. He is holding the shoes that he will wear. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
The Associated Press
Aerialists Nik Wallenda, center, and his father, Terry Troffer, right, look over Times Square and the high wire prior to his walk above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press
Aerialists Nik Wallenda, right, and his father, Terry Troffer, center, look over Times Square and the high wire prior to his walk above Times Square, Sunday, June 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Szenes)
The Associated Press