Yorkshire woman left with fractured knee following Boardmasters crowd crush
Organisers had to cancel DJ Sammy Virji's set on Friday (August 09)
Last updated 12th Aug 2024
A Yorkshire woman has branded the organisers of Boardmasters festival a "disgrace" after a crowd crush left her with a fractured knee.
Jade Brooks, who is 23, went to the festival in Cornwall with her 17-year-old brother and 19-year-old cousin.
Ms Brooks arrived at The Point stage an hour before DJ Sammy Virji's set was due to start and said "more and more people were flooding in over the hour".
"We then stood up to get a good view of the stage when more and more people were flocking in," she said.
"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.
"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.
"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.
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.
"It has ruined my holiday with my family, as I can't do anything at all now," she said.
"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."
She added: "We came to Cornwall for a two-week holiday like we do every year and this was in the middle of our holiday.
"Now this second week of the holiday is ruined, we can't do what we usually do and I'm going to miss out on all family activities."
Sammy Virji's set was ultimately cancelled and in an Instagram post, he said he was "gutted" but "safety should always come first".
In a statement shared on social media, the festival 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."
It added that the festival has since "undertaken a multi-agency review" and that "The Point stage re-opened" on Saturday afternoon.
In a statement shared on social media, the festival 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."
The festival also flagged the support it has available including its welfare teams which it said are "available 24 hours a day for any festivalgoers who would like a chat or support".
It also noted that concerned parents could reach out to them through their website.