Bvj

[OVERKILL 19]

Apparently the main stage collapsed at BVJ during a wind storm this evening. One person is confirmed dead and lots of people injured, 4 critical. My heart goes out to the people involved.

 

[stripe]

waw ron is there hope all is well

 

[sldgy]

positive vibes are headed their way

 

[94fordguy]

forgive me, but what is BVJ?


also, sad to hear, I hope nobody else is hurt

 

[pipes]

forgive me, but what is BVJ?


also, sad to hear, I hope nobody else is hurt

Big Valley Jamboree. Western Canada's biggest outdoor country music festival.

 

[girlluvshockey]

Hey,

I just got home and live in Camrose. Was right in the middle when it all happened. Complete craziness. It came so fast and the sand and dust hit, couldnt see anything. People running, vendors stuff flying, and then the stage came down. I was hiding behind a trailer at one point, saw a girl split her head when a pole hit her.

CISN is covering it really well and trying to tell people and connect people who are lost. Currently 1 dead, 15 injured (various levels), some still unaccounted for. Cell phones are down so it is hard to reach anyone.

thoughts are prayers with everyone

 

[sldgy]

Big Valley Jamboree. Western Canada's biggest outdoor country music festival.

Home - BigValleyJamboree.com

 

[sledbunny]

What an ordeal going on out there. I hope Ron is alright. It is my worst nightmare right now. My 19 year old son is out there with his friend. Finally got word that my son is okay.. he was sitting right there, luckily is uncle grabbed him. As of right now we are waiting to hear if they found my son's friend who he went out there with. Haven't heard nothing yet.. I hope he is alright. Last I heard, Camrose is without power and they are trying to get cranes in to lift the stage.. It is going to be a long night waiting to hear...

 

[girlluvshockey]

my hubby works for fortis and it is going to be a long night for them, communication is not working good with all the BVJ happening

 

[Uturn]

Blew in crazy fast in Red Deer too. Great lightning storm to watch, it was dancing all over the sky. Looks like more severe weather in central Alberta today too.

Freak storm at BVJ, thoughts go out to everyone there.

 

[RETODD]

Neighbors are there, called to let us know they were OK...said it was horrific...BVJ2009 events have offically been canceled.

 

[Deano670]

We were on our way home from drumheller and got stuck in the Montana's parking lot in Reddeer. Got some good pics of the sky. New it was serious when the shopping cart holder thingie flipped over and started sliding across the parking lot at the truck.

 

[99summitx]

Deano did it hail at Montana's, I only live 1/2 mile south of there and we got hammered with pea size hail, wife's flowers all stripped, crabapples all on the ground and stripped a bunch of trim paint off my house.

 

[99summitx]

small pic from my phone

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I'm by the water tower "The Green onion" and we got lots of hail.

 

[rknight111]

This was a pretty scary moment, I seen the sky and reconize storms quite well, decided to head back just at the last song to make supper. Just got across the parking lot and where the 3" steel flag poles are bent like twigs. And looked back and it was OH, No, it doesnt look good now, run for cover. Then we all started running, there was a wall of sand and debree, you could hardly see anything, I crossed the road and dove under a van, a young women who I didnt know held on tight as well, you could hardly see a thing, I heard the porta potties flip over beside me and seen chairs and various debree flying over head. Then the major gust was done where you can see it was now sheet rain and heavy winds, I looked back towards the stage and seen it collapsing. Then ran the rest of the way to my trailer where it was mass hysteria. They just finished putting up my awning and were just going to fold up my snowandmud tent, it was taking the storm quite well, I assisted and when cutting the strip lights down I had a accident and cut my left index finger down to the bone. Went in the trailer made a good mess then got my neighbour to bandage me up. Went to first aid and it was like an episode on ER, wow! They were overwhelmed but very calm. They said I must have stiches and I'll be awhile. I decided to give them a break and let her know i would come back later when it cools down a bit, there was people with various injury's everywhere. Went back to camp where we all in one trailer. There were a few very large cracks of thunder, the trailer shook on one like it was right next door. Hmmm, my trailer is next door with a 30' steel flagpole, red rotating light, large canadian flag. Bang, and a huge flash. So I didn't think anything of that. We sat in the trailer listining to the news and heard the main stage did collapse and one person was killed and many injured. The storm was now settled down to rain showers, most of us were wet from trying to clean up in the storm. About 1 1/2 hours passed, I headed down to first aid, got my stiches, thanks Dr.Nichol and his crew of medical assistants. Then headed back to camp spent alot of time listning to the news and taking in phone calls, seems that my I phone on Rogers was the only one that would work, so some people called there loved ones on that. We were all tottaly shocked on what happened and knew it was done for the day and possibly tommorow. So I reset up the tent and a few lights and started on supper and turned some music on and changed the mood a bit. No thoughts again about my trailer till bed time, no furnace, hmmm. So the next morning I tried my generator and it wont start. So hooked up another one and all you can smell is melting wires. Checked the breakers and a few including the main were off, thats odd. Next my fridge check light is on. Did everything to that as well, it wont work. None of my electrical is working, wow, then when packing down cant even get the slideout back, even with cables or the truck attached. After some help we pushed it back in using a crescent wrench and a few people. So today im pulling the main box to see what went on. It smells burnt in there and alot of the fuses are blown. The generator was plugged in to the trailer so it may have taken some of the hit. Well this was an experience to add to my list. I hope all the critically injured get better and the inured heal, and my coldolences go out to the family and friends of the lady from lloydminister that was killed when the stage collapsed.

 

[rknight111]

Here is some great video footage from Cisnfm please go on 630ched and view there

Good video of the whole storm and aftermath of storm.

Video is not authorized to post on here so click on the link above

And some others
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWh9LwoBvYw[/YOUTUBE]

 

[99summitx]

If your generator was sitting on the ground that's where the current would have exited.

 

[imdoo'n]

would grounding the generator have prevented this from happening. or would grd to the trailer have worked better. maybe a wire to a ground rod bolted to the frame?

 

[stripe]

some nasty wind in them pics