He was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus troupe whose members performed dangerous stunts far above the ground, often without a safety net.

[1] His parents were Kunigunde (Jameson) and Engelbert Wallenda,[2][page needed] and he began performing with his family at the age of six.

[3] Wallenda was killed in a high wire accident in San Juan, Puerto Rico just 38 days after it was first broadcast.

In 1978, at age 73, Wallenda attempted a walk between the two towers of the ten-story Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a wire stretched 121 ft (37 metres) above the pavement.

As a result of high winds and an improperly secured wire, he lost his balance and fell during the attempt.