One woman recounted the scene of disorder she encountered in the medical tent at the Boardmasters music festival when she sought aid for a 16-year-old boy who was “incoherent with agony” after being injured in a crowd rush.
Ali Gaudion shared with Sky News how her daughter had informed her that the young teenager, a pal of hers, “had been squeezed and trampled on” at the event in Newquay, Cornwall on Friday evening.
The boy mentioned that he was “close to the stage” for DJ Sammy Virji when “a multitude of people surged in, I was shoved and fell on my back, with my leg twisted and hyperextended.
“The pain was excruciating, and I could not rise. There were bodies on top of me, and I was atop others.”
Ms. Gaudion disclosed that they located the boy behind the stage, where he was among “numerous kids lying on the ground, wailing, shrieking, and collapsing”.
They were instructed to transport him to the main assistance tent, she stated, but “no one was aware” of its location, and they had to “march for hours carrying this boy”, who was by then “delirious with agony”.
She remarked that the security personnel were “refusing entry [to the tent]”.
“It was utter bedlam. Medical professionals were stating ‘we are overwhelmed’,” she added.
She and other mothers present there “observed that it was getting overcrowded too rapidly. Calls were made from the stage for people to cease pushing. Subsequently, we started to hear screams.”
Sophie Davies, another mother whose son, Will Davies, stayed at the festival, witnessed “a massive influx of youngsters racing towards the front… like a flood of people streaming in”.
She assisted the same teenage boy aided by Ms. Gaudion and searched for him upon hearing of his injury.
Upon finding him, a stranger “sensed his pain and offered some paracetamol, but there were no stretchers, ice packs, or ambulances in sight”.
A different mother informed the PA news agency that her family had attended the main stage for Tom Odell’s performance, but it “began to get extremely packed”.
“My husband stood outside the barriers with our youngest child, but my elder daughter wanted to be within,” she stated.
As the crowd surged, the mother recounted, “We were trapped as streams of people continued to pour in.
“My daughter and I were crushed against the barriers, so I hoisted her over and across a barrier and then pulled myself out.
“My daughters were petrified. I have been to numerous festivals over the years – I have never witnessed one so teeming with people and with such inadequate and hazardous crowd management measures.”
Boardmasters stated: “Following an incident of crowd collapse at The Point last night, seven attendees were taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary evaluation after reporting to our medical team. They received treatment for minor injuries and have all since been discharged.
“A comprehensive review involving multiple agencies was conducted, and The Point stage has resumed operations this afternoon.
“Our support teams are on standby 24/7 for any festival attendees seeking conversation or assistance.”
They also mentioned that apprehensive parents could reach out via the Boardmasters website.
Cornwall Police reported that a “small number” of individuals were injured in a crowd surge.
Sammy Virji expressed being “devastated” that his set at The Point was canceled but stressed that “safety should always take precedence”.
In a statement on his Instagram, he highlighted the seriousness of crowd surges.
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The festival’s capacity was expanded to 58,000 this year, a rise of 5,000 from the 2023 total, following approval of a license application submitted by BM Management to the county council in February.
It is set to increase further to 65,000 next year and 66,000 in 2026 as part of the outlined plans.
The headliners for the weekend are Sam Fender on Saturday and Stormzy on Sunday.
