'Absolutely insane,' ICU nurse attending Astroworld Festival tells FOX 26 what she saw
ICU Nurse assists first responders with injured fans during Astroworld tragedy
An ICU nurse attending the Astroworld Festival tells FOX 26 she's grateful to be alive after jumping into action and helping some of the injured fans amidst the danger, where eight people died and several hundred were seriously injured.
HOUSTON - In the midst of the celebrations at the much anticipated Astroworld Music Festival hosted by Houston's own Travis Scott, tragedy ensued, where officials say at least eight people died and several others were seriously injured.
The Latest: At least 8 dead, several others injured during Astroworld music festival, officials say
Among the attendees in the crowd were Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse who was also at the concert as a fan for the third annual festival, which was put on hiatus in 2020 after COVID-19. In talking with FOX 26's Denise Middleton, Eskin says in all the years she's attended the festival, this year was unlike anything she had seen before.
"It was absolutely insane," Eskins said. "I've never seen anything like that in my life. I am disturbed. Honestly, it should have been stopped."
FULL INTERVIEW: ICU Nurse, Astroworld attendee breaks down what happened during the festivities
FOX 26's Denise Middleton spoke with an ICU nurse who was in attendance during the Astroworld music festival and assisted first responders at the concert, where eight people died and several other members of the crowd were injured.
Houston officials had not determined the cause of deaths were, but during a press conference overnight Saturday, Chief Troy Finner with HPD encouraged residents to avoid listening to rumors.
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"Nobody has all the answers tonight," Chief Finner said. "It's not fair to the producers [of the event] or to anyone else involved."
Authorities provide preliminary information on fatal incident at Astroworld Music Festival
Harris Co. Judge Lina Hidalgo was joined by HPD Chief Troy Finner and HFD Chief Sam Pena to give the public preliminary information on what happened at Astroworld, where at least 8 people died and several others were hospitalized during Travis Scott's music festival.
Eskins herself even voiced frustrations with some of the rumors; particularly that the deaths were mostly drug-related.
"I'm upset that people are saying that this was all drug-related," she said. "There are rumors that someone was running around with a needle injecting people with drugs. I never saw that….I will say that as someone who did not do any type of drugs, does not do any type of drugs, that I could have very easily been one of those people because I was getting suffocated."
"Suffocation can lead to cardiac arrest," Eskins continued. "And they were saying that these individuals were trampled. Because once you fell in that crowd, it was almost a death sentence."
From what we do know, however, is a person was trampled in the crowd. Furthermore, at least one patient did report to officials feeling they had been poked with a needle, which was later brought up Saturday by Chief Finner, citing an injection point in their neck after they were revived.