OCALA, Fla. – Twenty-one people were taken to hospitals and more than 350 patient interactions were reported by Marion County Fire Rescue during the first day of the Rock the Country music festival in Ocala on Friday.
An additional 11 patients were hospitalized on Saturday, the fire department said, adding more than 125 patients were treated during the festival’s second day.
In a statement, a fire department spokesperson said Saturday that the patient interactions were in response to issues including heat-related illnesses, intoxication and vomiting. Specifics regarding exactly how many people were treated and/or hospitalized for which reasons were not available at the time of this report.
Festivalgoers were told ahead of time to stay safe and hydrated in the near-record heat. The fire department posted Friday on social media to advise that two medical tents and cooling tents/misting fans would be located on festival grounds to help people beat the heat.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office made a social media post Saturday to advise of anticipated traffic issues during the second day of the festival. Drivers traveling in the area of Highway 318 and North Highway 441 would likely need to budget extra time and fuel for their commute, the post states.
The sheriff’s office’s post also mentioned how the county fire department had “treated a significant number of patients for heat-related illness” during the first day of the festival, urging those still in attendance to drink plenty of water and electrolytes in order to stay hydrated.
The two-day festival kicked off Friday, featuring Kid Rock and Jason Aldean as headliners. Friday’s humidity was expected to send feels-like temperatures into the 102-106 degree range. The fire department’s latest statement on the matter Sunday otherwise mentioned that Fire Chief James Banta was treated to a meet and greet with Hulk Hogan and Jason Aldean, “creating lasting memories for some of the on site first responders.”
Click here to review the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as to see what you should do in case of either occurring.
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