1 Dead, 40 Hurt in Canada Stage Collapse(Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News/AP

Fans screamed and ran for cover as a fierce thunderstorm caused an outdoor stage to collapse at a country music festival in central Alberta. Police said one person was killed and up to 40 others injured.

Thousands of fans were camped out at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, 60 miles southeast of Edmonton, when strong winds and heavy rain struck about 6 p.m. on Saturday. The concert is billed as Canada's largest country music festival.

Camrose Police Chief Darrell Kambeitz confirmed the one death and said 15 of the injured were taken to hospitals. Canadian media said four of those injured were in critical condition. Kambeitz later said up to 40 people could have been injured, with some treated at the site.

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"We were all racing for the exit," said Lori Trelenberg of Sherwood Park, Alta. "It was devastation. It was strong and powerful. The stage just sort of crumbled."

The Nashville-based Billy Currington band was playing when the power went out and the stage collapsed. One band member was pulled from the wreckage with a badly injured arm. Kevin Costner and his band Modern West were next to perform when the storm hit.


(AP/John Ulan, Canadian Press)


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/02/world/main5204967.shtml?tag=stack

[daleo]

1. A very strong wind and rain developed at our place in Edmonton

But I had no idea it had been that destructive in Camrose, which is about an hour away. A little girl was killed in Calgary from falling debris related to this storm as well.

There had been 110+ kph plow winds a couple weeks earlier, which downed a lot of trees in our area, but there were no serious injuries or fatalities. These summer storms can be fierce on the prairies.

[uberblonde]

2. Thank God...

None of them will have to worry about paying for the treatment they need.

[TrogL]

4. some of the performers are from the us

They would probably get treated and sort out the billing later.

[TrogL]

3. i caught part of that storm

Huge winds and lightning. That's the second "century" storm we've had in a month. We're still clearing downed trees and branches from the last one.

I've performed under a stage canopy like that. It would definitely be dangerous if it came down.

[TrogL]

7. I talked to a guy who was there

He was part of the sound crew and had an RV parked directly behind the stage. One of his crew got his mother and "threw her into the RV and slammed the door". My friend looked away for a moment, looked back and thought "oh, they got the stage down OK", then realized that was impossible, then saw all the wreckage. One of his crew was hit by the truss (the thing they attach all the lighting to) on the way down and has a huge bruise on his shoulder but shook it off and helped. My friend's going back today to try and salvage his gear.

Several of the local DJ's were there with their radio station's trucks and vans and the first thing they did was snag scared kids running around and bring them to vans where they'd be safe and start trying to contact their parents. There was only one working cell tower (Rogers - most people are on Telus or Bell) so communication was a nightmare.

The bass player for one of the country acts originally reported missing was in fact injured and at the hospital. He'll be OK.

[TrogL]

8. Another update

I was keeping this one under my hat until details were released.

The woman who died was killed when a speaker column fell on her. Another friend of mine was there and helped pull her out but she died soon after. He's really broken up about it.

Speakers are mostly air but the big ones are still damn heavy especially falling from a height.

[iverglas]

5. a horrible thing

The festival spokesperson said they had a 5-minute warning call. (I see him elsewhere being quoted as saying 2 minutes.) I doubt that anyone expected what some people described as "hurricane-force winds" such as would destroy a structure.

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/currington-injured-in-stage-collapse_1111588

Country star BILLY CURRINGTON was among those injured after a stage collapsed at the Big Valley Jamboree country festival in Alberta, Canada on Saturday (01Aug09).
One person was killed and over 80 injured when high winds tore down the main stage just before Kevin Costner and his band Modern West were to perform.
Costner and his bandmates were not among those hurt.

On top of that, a little kid in Calgary was killed by a piece of steel that flew off the top of a building under construction in high winds. (Oops, Daleo said that.)

A strange summer. In my part of Ontario, it's an unusual day that we don't have thunder and lightning (today wasn't one of those unusual days), and I can't remember a day it didn't rain.

[Jkuehn1400]

6. Festival Organizers don't know how to learn from experience!

The exact same thing happened at Country Thunder USA in Twin Lakes WI on July 20th 1997.(search for it it was all over the news just as this one is) I was one of the event organizers and was in touch with the National Weather Service in Sullivan,WI. They told us that severe weather was in the area but that we had 45 min. We Did not wait the 45 min. In fact we instructed the people who owned the stage. (also a stage used by many other larger music acts.) to Start lowering the canopy. It was a hand crank canopy so someone had to climb up to the top of the stage to lower it. Well then there was a huge gust of wind and the whole stage fell. We had evacuated the grounds just several minute before we sent the stage guys up. The national weather service declared the wind gust a Micro Burst and it's winds were around 100 MPH. It was a sad day. A few stage people were severely hurt.But if it was not for the fast acting of our owner and us top staff members there could have been so much more.
If there is one thing I can say to music festival owners and operators it's this. Even though you may loose a few dollars in the process or even have to cancel an act. If severe weather is an hour away from you. EVACUATE YOUR GROUNDS from all non essential personnel. Stop thinking about your selves, the money and the loss and think about the people. If you chance it you may end up being the next cover story of lost lives, and injury's. It's not worth it. We live the day that stage fell every day of our lives. And I for one wish that on no one. We had a make up concert in October. Titled fall fest. Ticket holders from July could get in for free to the October event.
I still think it was mostly in part because we had an experienced festival owner and a dream team of managers. No one to date could remake the team of people we had back then.