Sarasota, Fla. — Five members of the famed Wallenda acrobat troupe plummeted 25 feet this week while practicing their signature pyramid stunt — a precise and dangerous feat that involves balancing eight people atop a thin high-wire without a safety net.

Two people were hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and a third required surgery and was in critical condition, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported.

Trauma surgeon Alan Brockhurst told the Tribune all were expected to survive. The two other injured performers were taken to separate facilities; one was treated for minor injuries, reported the Tribune, and the other was taken to Blake Medical Center’s trauma center.

Nik Wallenda, the group’s star and a renowned daredevil, was involved in the stunt but was not injured, authorities told The Associated Press.

“He caught himself,” county spokeswoman Ashley Lusby told the AP.

The performers were practicing for the Friday opening of Circus Sarasota, which “presents professional performances that are acclaimed around the globe for world-class artistry and entertainment,” according to the Sarasota Circus Arts Conservatory website.

Nik Wallenda was one of the final pieces of the pyramid puzzle, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported. A performer in front of him lost balance, causing the entire troupe to topple, the newspaper reported.

Pedro Reis, founder and chief executive of the Circus Arts Conservatory, told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday that the rigging was not to blame and that the circus will still open today.

“The show must go on,” Reis said.

The act the Wallenda troupe was rehearsing on Wednesday was supposed to break a world record for height, the Tribune reported.