CINCINNATI — Student performer Keri Shryock, 23, died from injuries related to a fall during a Christmas show at a church Dec. 17. She was suspended from a cable, acting the part of a Wise Man in a contemporary Nativity story at Crossroads Community Church in Oakley, Ohio when her harness opened. She fell more than 20 feet and succumbed to her injuries the next day. The police, who had reviewed video footage taken during the event, have ruled Shryock’s death an accident. O’Dell Owens, Hamilton County Coroner, told news sources that fabric from Shryock’s gown got caught in the clasp of the harness, causing it to open when Shryock extended her arm.
The production involved 200 performers before an audience of close to 2,000 people. Prayer services were held in place of the scheduled show the following night. The church also took efforts to console those affected by the tragedy with additional services and grief counseling.
Because Shryock was performing as a volunteer, and not as a paid employee, no other government agency will investigate the reason for the fall. “It’s totally a civil matter,” said Dick Gilgrist, a director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to press reports.
Shryock, from Sylvania, Ohio, was a student at Xavier University.
