A French tourist was rushed to hospital over the weekend after she reportedly jumped in a fire three times at the Mushroom Valley Festival in Mackay.
As The Daily Mercury reports, the 21-year-old, who had allegedly taken a hallucinogenic drug, was in a serious condition after suffering horrific burns and being cut by barbed wire.
She allegedly wandered from the festival and was found at a campsite where she jumped into the fire. She was then returned to the festival to get medical attention before being flown to a hospital in Brisbane.
Festival organiser Ben Irving said that the 1,500 people, three-day festival had a strict no-drug policy, but according to a festival-goer, bags were not checked upon entry.
The festival issued a statement following the event, writing on social media, “It is a disappointment for us to have an incident like this occur.”
“The coordinated response to this incident from the festival’s paramedics, local ambulance and the RACQ rescue helicopter was highly professional with a helicopter arriving within an hour of the organisers becoming aware of the young lady’s injuries and we would like to thank everyone involved in the response.”
Festival staff informed other festival-goers on the final night of the festival what had happened to the lady, further reminding punters “of the importance of self-care, looking after your mates, the risks involved in drug use, and the importance of road safety”.
They maintained that the event was otherwise a “total success”. Read their full statement, below.
It comes just a month after a man died at US festival Burning Man after he ran into flames during the festival’s signature opening ceremony.
Mushroom Valley Festival Statement
The organisers of Mushroom Valley and the entire festival community wish to express their sympathies for the young lady injured on Saturday night after leaving the festival. The safety of festival patrons is always our highest priority and all efforts are made to create a safe gathering space, and so it is a disappointment for us to have an incident like this occur.
The coordinated response to this incident from the festival’s paramedics, local ambulance and the RACQ rescue helicopter was highly professional with a helicopter arriving within an hour of the organisers becoming aware of the young lady’s injuries and we would like to thank everyone involved in the response.
On Sunday night, the closing ceremony was dedicated to the young lady, with festival organisers taking the time to inform attendees of what had occurred, and remind them of the importance of self-care, looking after your mates, the risks involved in drug use, and the importance of road safety.
The festival was otherwise a total success with approximately 1500 people enjoying 3 days of music, art and nature in a happy and safe environment and no other major incidents.
