FESTIVAL CHAOS
‘It was carnage!’ slams mum over Boardmasters crowd surge that hospitalised 7 & saw 100s of kids in tears
Seven people from the Cornwall festival were taken to hospital
A FUMING mum has slammed the "carnage" at Boardmasters after a crowd surge left teens crying in "incredible pain" and seven hospitalised.
Around 25 people were pulled to safety at the popular festival, in Newquay, Cornwall, after the surge saw a huge speaker crashing down onto a stage.
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A 16-year-old "near the front" for DJ Sammy Virji recalled the horror as he struggled in the crowd collapse.
He told Sky News: "When loads of people came in, I was pushed and fell on my back, with my leg twisted. It was hyperextended.
"It was incredibly painful, and I couldn't get up. There were people on top of me, and I was on top of other people."
Jade Brooks called the event a "disgrace" after she suffered a fractured knee when "10 people" fell on her during a crowd rush at the festival.
The 23-year-old arrived at DJ Sammy Virji's set with her brother 17, and cousin 19 an hour before it was meant to start.
Boardmasters are a disgrace
Jade Brooks
She told the PA news agency that "more and more people were flooding in over the hour".
Jaded added: "We then stood up to get a good view of the stage when more and more people were flocking in.
"This is where we were getting pushed into by people trying to get to the front, which caused us to be packed in like sardines.
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"I felt enclosed and wanted to get out but everywhere you turned there was no way to get out.
"The crowd then pushed back and caused everyone to fall with me being the bottom person and I had about 10 people fall onto my legs.
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"I was screaming 'my legs' when I heard the crunch as someone landed on it."
Security told her to go to the welfare tent where "hundreds of people were waiting" before the medical team felt her leg.
Ms Brooks said they told her she would be "okay" and that they could attend to her "in a few hours once they got down people more important".
The following morning, Ms Brooks, a dancer who also works in hospitality, said she "woke up in agony".
She saw her leg had swollen to twice its usual size and she was unable to put any weight on it.
"It has ruined my holiday with my family, as I can't do anything at all now," Jaded added.
"Boardmasters are a disgrace, they should have had security stopping people from coming in to reduce the amount of people so it wouldn't cause crowd surges.
"I want my money back along with compensation for destroying my holiday and when I return home I won't be able to work for over a month."
Ms Brooks waited in A&E "all morning" and an x-ray revealed she had a fracture in her knee, meaning that she will have to spend the rest of her family holiday in Cornwall in a brace with crutches.
Meanwhile, the disgusted mum of two girls who watched the chaos unfold dubbed it "carnage" with "kids everywhere".
"There were kids crying, there were kids holding their legs, there were kids being carried," she said.
Her daughters waited with a boy who had been "really badly hurt" and was found "shaking".
"You could see there was blood and I don't know if it was a bone - it looked like bone coming out of his leg," the horrified mum added.
She recalled "a few medics, but not many", scrambling to the scene.
Meanwhile, another parent, Sophie Davies, claimed there were "no stretchers or ice packs or ambulances".
And, one mum who claimed her daughter was injured in the surge alleged her child suffered "internal bleeding".
"Well my daughter's not on your statistics, she was sent away from the medical tent last night, this morning attended A&E and she's broken her knee and has internal bleeding due to your crowd surge, which you did nothing to stop," she claimed on social media.
The Sun contacted Boardmasters for comment.
Other witnesses said fans piled towards The Point stage to watch DJ Sammy Virji at 8pm on Friday.
One said: “A speaker collapsed and people were crushed in the surge.” Another man said he helped pull people on to a viewing platform for the disabled.
The witness added: “It was overcrowded. A mosh pit started then everyone hit the deck. It was like a skittle effect.
“It looked like one person was having a seizure. They were being attended to by medics. Stewards were struggling to cope.”
A mother said it “started getting very, very crowded” during singer Tom Odell’s earlier set.
She said: “My husband stayed outside the barriers with our youngest but my older daughter wanted to go inside.
“We couldn’t get out as there were still so many people streaming in.
“We got crushed against the barriers so I heaved her up and over then pulled myself out.”
Revellers also had to abandon cars and walk to the site as 58,000 descended on Newquay, Cornwall, for the festival — fronted by rapper Stormzy and electronic duo Chase & Status.
The DJ set was cancelled. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed it had been notified of a crowd surge which had “left a small number of attendees injured”.
The force added in a statement: “This is an isolated incident and the festival continues.”
In a statement, Boardmasters said: "Following a crowd collapse at The Point last night seven attendees were transferred to hospital nearby for precautionary examination after presenting to our medical team.
"They have been treated for minor injuries and have all since been discharged.
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"We have undertaken a multi-agency review and The Point stage has re-opened this afternoon.
"Our welfare teams are available 24 hours a day for any festivalgoers who would like a chat or support."